The Manila local government unit (LGU) has no problem on the food supply for its constituents, but Manila Mayor Isko Moreno said the challenge is how to conduct distribution with strict social distancing protocols to be observed.
To address the concern, the Manila LGU has decided to conduct house-to-house food pack delivery during curfew hours which start at 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. to make sure residents are in their homes.
“Gusto ko pong pakainin kayong lahat. Totoo po ‘yan; I swear to God, but I don’t want to defeat the purpose, ayokong mabalewala ‘yung purpose na plano ng gobyerno social distancing, kasi balewala ang lahat kung umikot muli yung virus (I want to feed everyone. It’s true; I swear to God, but I do not want to defeat the purpose of our government’s plans on social distancing. It’s all useless if the virus circulates again),” Moreno said.
The local government has started giving food packs since Saturday night to residents of Barangay 362, 497, and 585. The city has more than a million population that consist of more than 300,000 families.
Medical frontliners in Manila also continue to receive assistance by way of free transportation, meals, and accommodation.
Meanwhile, the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) reiterated that LGUs have the power to use their quick response fund as additional aid to their constituents while waiting for help from the national government through the DSWD and DILG.
The DSWD has been drafting guidelines on how to distribute the said assistance to individuals amid the enhanced community quarantine.
“So asahan po natin sa linggong ito ay maglalabas na po ng mga guidelines and protocols ang DSWD pati ‘yung binuo na TWG ng DSWD under the IATF kung paano ‘yung magiging procedures sa pagbibigay po ng tulong sa ating mga kababayan sa ibat ibang parte ng ating bansa (So we expect within this week the DSWD will release guidelines and protocol including the one made by the TWG of DSWD under IATF, on how the procedure in extending help to the public in the different parts of the country will be conducted),” IATF Spokesperson Karlo Nograles said. – Report from Kenneth Paciente
