MANILA, Philippines — The Pasig City government will be giving food coupons to the city’s public school students to boost their nutrition given the limited access to food and other basic goods during the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) being enforced.
Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto announced Friday that the coupons will be distributed through the city’s public schools. He said only one member of each household is allowed to go to the schools to claim the food vouchers starting next week. The coupons can be used in markets or other stores depending on which area they are located.
“Bakit po natin tinatarget ‘yung schools at ‘yung mga mag-aaral natin sa pampublikong paaralan? Dahil ayaw po natin na mastunt ‘yung growth ng ating mga mag-aaral. Ayaw po natin mastunt ‘yung development nila sa panahon ng krisis na ito,” he said in a Facebook live.
(Why are we targeting students in public schools? Because we don’t want their growth and development to get stunted in this time of crisis.)
Sotto said a family representative who will claim the coupon will have to present the identification card of the student but noted that requirements may vary depending on the school. He said further announcements on the use of the coupons and how to get them will be announced soon.
According to the neophyte mayor, Pasig City is coordinating the project with the Department of Education.
Sotto said he hosted a Facebook live to clarify how the city government is providing aid to residents during the enhanced quarantine which has also affected the livelihood of many.
He said the city government has procured 400,000 food packs for over 100,000 families in the city, but explained that only around half of these have been distributed so far.
Sotto also called on city residents not to sow “intrigues” on the distribution of the food packs, saying that this is just the initial distribution being done by the city government.
READ: Pasig City residents to get 400,000 food packs and 5,000 bottles of vitamins
“Humihingi po kami ng pang-unawa but rest assured we are doing the best that we can,” he said, noting the limited time of preparation that the local government unit had for the enhanced community quarantine which ends at midnight of April 13.
A second or third wave of distribution of food packs will be done, said Sotto, depending on the length of the quarantine period, and added that more families will receive this aid from the local government in the coming days.
He also explained that the poorest barangays in the city are being prioritized in the distribution of food packs.
“‘Yung mga nakatira po sa private subdivision, pasensya na, hindi po ito pamaskong handog. Hindi po ito regalo o Christmas gift. Tulong po ito para hindi po magutom ‘yung mga kapwa natin Pasigueño. Sana maintindihan po natin iyon,” he said.
(To those residing in private subdivisions, we apologize, but this is not a Christmas gift. This is to provide help to our fellow Pasigueño so that they will not go hungry. I hope you will understand that.)
On Thursday, Sotto also announced that the local government has allotted P55.5 million funds for the city’s 12,000 tricycle drivers, 5,800 jeepney drivers, and 700 UV Express van drivers. Each driver will receive P3,000 in cash assistance.
READ: Vico Sotto: Pasig City’s 18,500 PUV drivers to get P3,000-aid each