‘Climb Against Cancer’ members go beyond their objective as they bring food to COVID-19 frontliners
Image: Facebook/Nini Andrada Sacro
At a time of crisis when citizens are called upon to show their compassion for one another, the volunteer group Climb Against Cancer Pilipinas (CAC) has reached out to numerous hospitals around the metro to provide health workers sustenance while they do most of the battle against COVID-19.
The founder of the organization, Ma. Lourdes “Nini” Andrada-Sacro, spoke with INQUIRER.net about the group’s effort to feed health workers in various hospitals who are working round the clock to take care of their patients.
CAC consists of mountaineers from all over the country aiming to “recite a prayer of healing for all cancer patients at the summit of the 25 mountains,” which the members scaled simultaneously back in 2010 when the group was founded. Since then, their mission has extended beyond what they have originally intended, to help others in the community in this critical time of need.
The feeding program spearheaded by Sacro began last Tuesday, March 17, when the group sent food to the intensive care unit nurses at the Philippine Heart Center. The 49-year-old mother was made aware of the staff’s condition after her niece, who is a nurse at the said hospital, disclosed that they were experiencing difficulty getting food delivered at the hospital.
As of March 12, the entire Metro Manila has been under a 30-day community quarantine in an attempt to fight the virus. Following this was the enforcement of an enhanced community quarantine throughout the entire Luzon, which directs citizens to follow strictly house quarantine while frontline health workers, authorized government officials and other employees providing the communities’ basic needs continue to work.
After the group’s first effort, they have since given food packs at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) and Dr. Jose Natalio Rodriguez Memorial Hospital. Sacro also shared their plans to send food to the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) on March 23, V. Mapa Hospital on March 24, the Asian Hospital and Medical Center on March 25 and the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) on March 26.
The group aims to send food to one hospital per day, as Sacro revealed the difficulty of preparing the food with minimal manpower, since she can only reach those who are near her residence in Parañaque. Another difficulty Sacro faces, since she firmly believes that the community quarantine should be observed, is sending the food packs to the hospitals.
With a streak of luck, one of the group’s volunteers is moonlighting as a delivery person. When asked by Sacro to help transport the items, the member immediately answered yes. He also said that his service was free of charge as his “way of paying it forward.”
Image: Facebook/Nini Andrada Sacro
Health workers’ condition
“I intend to cook as long as there are also people who are supporting our little mission,” Sacro declared.
After reading the messages of health workers expressing their appreciation for the group’s effort, Sacro shared that she could not help but tear up with joy.
“Nakakataba daw ng puso. It lifted them daw to continue on with what they do,” she said. “Iyak na lang ako each time. I want them to feel that they are appreciated and that they are our superheroes.”
(It warmed their hearts. It lifted them up to continue [doing] what they do. I just cry each time. I want them to feel that they are appreciated and that they are our superheroes.)
Due to the health hazard brought about by the virus, the group’s head disclosed that her interactions with the hospital employees are conducted through virtual means. An emergency medical technician from one of the hospitals CAC helped revealed that their situation in the hospital at present is extremely difficult. Due to the high demand of need for medical attention, these hospital workers cannot accommodate all the patients unless it is an emergency case. The hospitals are also running out of medical masks.
“They mentioned that they are scared but cannot leave or abandon their stations,” she said. “The more ko naramdaman that what [I] do is not even a fraction nung pagod and anxiety na meron sila (The more I feel that what I do is not even a fraction of the exhaustion and anxiety they are experiencing). So, I’ll just cook for them. To nourish them.”
To continue their service to these health workers, Sacro is requesting donations of more grocery supplies such as vegetables, meat, rice, as well as food-pack containers and utensils. The group is also in need of volunteer drivers and vehicles for deliveries.
Image: Facebook/Nini Andrada Sacro
Shared humanity
Sacro prays for strength, for the health workers, community leaders, police and military personnel and everyone who are in the frontlines of the battle against the virus. She also hopes that researchers and scientists who are racing against time will soon find a cure for COVID-19.
As a message of hope to her fellow Filipinos, Sacro said: “May this crisis help us to once again recognize our shared humanity and unite us in compassion, across all faiths, races and political beliefs.” /ra
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