Locked down Caloocan residents ask for help

MANILA, Philippines — Some residents of a barangay under lockdown in Caloocan City have complained that the local government has failed to deliver on its promise of providing them with enough relief goods and cash assistance to last until May 30.

“We were not properly informed about the lockdown so we did not have enough time to prepare and buy essential goods for our families. If we leave our homes, we will be required to pay a P3,000 fine once the lockdown is lifted, and that is what will impact us the most,” said a resident of Barangay 12 who asked to be identified only as Kambal for security reasons.

The village was placed under lockdown from May 17 to May 23 after it posted 49 new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases, the highest in the city, which has 455 confirmed cases. However, this was later extended until the end of the month.

Some residents have taken to social media to complain that the local government was “full of empty promises,” noting that for the past eight days, they have received one box of relief goods per household. They added that they were still waiting for the P1,000 cash assistance pledged by city officials.

Kambal, who lives with two elderly people and two children, said that he and other residents were shocked when the city government announced the extension of the lockdown as they did not have enough food stocks.

Some availed themselves of the “pautos” system in which they asked barangay officials to buy goods for them at the market.

However, some of the village officials rode on motorcycles with back riders, which was a violation of the social distancing rule, he said.

“Jeepalengke,” the mobile market in Caloocan City, was also inaccessible to some residents in the village. INQ