MANILA, Philippines — Amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis now gripping the country, a household in Pandi town in the province of Bulacan displayed a simple act of compassion by declining to receive a relief package from its local government and asking instead that it be sent to other families who may need it more.
In a Facebook post, Pandi Mayor Rico Roque commended the household in his jurisdiction for politely turning down the assistance.
A picture in the mayor’s post showed a sign on the door of a house in Pandi saying: “I-share nalang po sa iba ‘yung para sa amin. Salamat!” (Just share our relief goods to others. Thank you!)
While no one will be left behind in the distribution of relief goods regardless of their socioeconomic status, Roque said fortunate families may also waive off the aid to give way for less fortunate ones.
“Walang pipiliing bahay sa pagbibigay ng relief goods, dapat lahat magkaroon, walang mahirap o mayaman sa panahon nitong Covid19, nasa residente na lang kung sapat pa ang kanilang supplies ay pwede nilang gawin ang ginawa ng iba nating kababayan na naglagay ng sign sa harap ng kanilang bahay, malaking tulong ito sa mga MAS-nangangailangan nating kababayan,” Roque wrote.
In a separate post, the mayor also shared a “thank you note” from one of his constituents that he said helped his team in delivering relief goods under the scorching heat of the sun.
“Mawawala na lang talaga ang pagod mo kahit tirik ang araw. Sa may ari ng bahay na to, hindi mo naman talaga kailangan magpasalamat. Pero dahil dyan, bigyan ng FACE MASK yan!” he said.
The entire island of Luzon is now under an enhanced community quarantine until April 13 as cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections in the country continue to rise.
Work in the private and public sector has been reduced to work-from-home setups and all forms of public transportation were suspended as the more than 50 million Luzon residents are urged to observe home quarantine.
To date, there are 636 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country, 38 of whom have died while 26 have recovered.