TACLOBAN CITY –– Officials of Alang-alang town in Leyte have appealed to families who are not economically affected by the COVID-19 crisis to waive their food packs in favor of poor families.
Of the 14,000 households in the municipality, at least 3,000 were capable of giving up their share, according to the municipal government of Alang-alang.
These households include those who have regular incomes, business establishment owners, government workers, and landed families, said Verwena Bibar, Alang-alang municipal information officer.
“It’s heartwarming that there were families who immediately responded to our appeal for them to waive their food packs in favor of the poor families of Alang-alang,” Bibar said.
She said the Alang-alang municipal government, headed by Mayor Lovely Yu, would like to prioritize those who are poor, workers who lost their incomes as a result of the measures to stop the spread of COVID-19, senior citizens, drivers of transport vehicles, and those working in establishments that temporarily closed their shops.
“To Alang-alangons who do not need relief, I am appealing to you to waive your food packs so we can give more to those who are really in need. Let us help each other,” Uy said in a statement.
According to Bibar, considering that the crisis may prolong after April, they would try to be prudent in spending their limited resources.
Alang-alang is a second class municipality with P180 million income for the current year. Of the number, around P9.3 million is allocated for the calamity fund.
Bibar said each food pack, which consists of five kilograms of rice and three canned goods, costs more than P272.
“That is why we are appealing that more families would waive so that we can give more to those who are really in need,” Bibar said.
”These people readily waived their food packs in favor of households whom they think should have more. Thank you for this display of social solidarity,” she added.