Taguig’s 28 barangays receive food packs as aid during ECQ

MANILA, Philippines — All 28 barangays in Taguig have received food packs as part of the aid the city government is giving during the prevailing enhanced community quarantine over Metro Manila and four adjacent provinces, which was declared due to the recent COVID-19 surge.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the city government said its employees at the Barangay Affairs Office and the Mayor’s Action Team went house to house to distribute the in-kind assistance.

“Even though all food establishments in the city will continue their dine-in and takeout services and all groceries and markets will remain open, Mayor Lino Cayetano said the stay-at-home family food packs will ensure that Taguigeños would not have to leave their homes to purchase supplies and potentially expose themselves to the dangers amid the pandemic,” the statement said.

Previously, Cayetano urged his constituents to keep taking precautions against COVID-19 — such as wearing of masks, maintaining physical distancing, and frequent washing of hands.

“This week we need to stay safe. Let’s just stay in the company of our loved ones, our households, our families,” Cayetano said, speaking partly in Filipino, in his address to Taguig residents before the ECQ went into effect on Monday, March 29.

“To my fellow citizens here in Taguig City, we will take care of each other. Let’s do bayanihan. Our city is known for supporting and taking care of each other. The city government will always be here for those who need it the most,” he said, speaking partly in Filipino.

According to the city, the food packs contain goods that are enough to sustain a family of five for three to four days. These include rice, canned goods, coffee, energy drink, and a hygiene kit consisting of face masks, face shields, alcohol, and soap.

“This one week will help us further lower the number of [COVID-19] cases we have in this city. The City of Taguig remains to have one of the lowest numbers of active cases in Metro Manila,” Cayetano said.

“And I believe that if we help each other we can lower it even further,”

Aside from Metro Manila, the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal are also under an ECQ due to rising COVID-19 cases, which health experts attribute to the spread of variants.

Currently, active COVID-19 infections are at 124,680, spiked by the record-breaking 10,016 cases recorded on Monday and the additional 9,296 cases on Tuesday.

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