In Benguet, farmers donate carrots, church workers raise funds in continued COVID-19 fight

Truckloads of carrots harvested by local farmers arrived at the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany in La Trinidad, Benguet. Image: courtesy of Sheila Banagui via Facebook

A church ground in La Trinidad, Benguet has turned into a temporary vegetable trading post, receiving truckloads of carrots and various other vegetables from the local farmers of Benguet province. These are distributed to residents affected by the COVID-19 community quarantine.

Seven truckloads of vegetables arrived at the church on Saturday, Apr. 25, and were immediately distributed to different barangays in Baguio City and La Trinidad, while others were brought to La Union and Pangasinan.

Rev. Fr. Richard Stone Banagui, rector of the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany in La Trinidad, Benguet, has been hands-on in the unloading and distribution of the relief goods.

“Carrots and other vegetables are constantly arriving for the past three weeks,” Sheila Banagui, Fr. Banagui’s sister, told INQUIRER.net on Wednesday, Apr. 29.

Other government agencies including TESDA, Bureau of Fire Department, Philippine National Police, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Philippine Red Cross, and other resident volunteers are also coordinating with the church members to extend help and take part in the relief operations.

Local farmers from North Luzon have been helping communities nationwide by distributing their harvests to different provinces and barangays. This has been going on for the past weeks since the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine was implemented.

READ: Cordillera townsfolk decline food aid to give way to more needy neighbors

“They, too, are struggling to survive this pandemic, but they happily came with truckloads of carrots and other vegetables for FREE!” Banagui said via Facebook on April 25. “If you [look] at them deeper into their eyes, you can feel their sorrow behind those beautiful smiles, [because] they, too, are worried [about] what tomorrow might bring,”

https://www.facebook.com/sheila.banagui/posts/3129945123696140

The farmers’ gesture inspired the members of the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany and the Cathedral of the Resurrection in Baguio to do a fundraising project called “Love Gift for our Farmers.” The drive aims to help the farmers still earn a living despite the lockdown.

Banagui announced on a separate post on Tuesday, April 28, that they already raised almost P70,000 cash donations and some in-kind goods. Meanwhile, they also keep record of the names of the Benguet farmers who gave them free vegetables.

https://www.facebook.com/sheila.banagui/posts/3137764952914157

Those who would like to donate may reach out to her through her Facebook account or drop the donations at the Epiphany Church and the Resurrection Cathedral, respectively. JB

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