LUCENA CITY –– For the local government of General Luna in Quezon province, all natives even those residing in Lucena City, 92-kilometers away, have to be assisted to cope with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) lockdown.
Mayor Matt Erwin Florido announced on his Facebook page Thursday that a relief caravan has left the coastal town to distribute relief packs to almost 500 natives residing in Lucena, the capital of the province.
“The list only contains 408 recipients, but we’ve added some more packs for those not included in the list,” the mayor explained.
Florido called the project “Yakap sa Heneralunahins sa Lucena,” with a budget of P280,000.
The local government was able to collect the names and addresses of their townmates in Lucena, after Florido announced the plan several days ago, also on his Facebook page.
The target recipients welcomed Florido’s call and placed their names and locations on their comments.
The food pack contains 10 kilos of rice, six cans of sardines, and six packs of noodles.
Florido said the food packs would be delivered at the doorsteps of the recipients, while others would wait for their packages along the route of the caravan in their respective villages.
A resident offered his truck, while Florido allowed the use of his pick-up vehicle to transport and distribute the aid packages.
Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, Florido has been receiving donations from his circle of friends, generous natives, and businessmen to help ease the suffering of residents, most of whom are marginalized.
From the donations and local funds, cash aid and relief goods were distributed to displaced public transportation workers, pregnant women, senior citizens, and ambulant vendors, among many other indigents.