From April to May 2020, community transmission of Covid-19 has been happening in the municipality of Tarangnan, according to the Department of Health-Eastern Visayas on May 15, 2020.   

Link: http://ro8.doh.gov.ph/press-release-four-4-new-additional-confirmed-cases-of-covid-19-reported-in-tarangnan-samar/

Tarangnan, a 4^th class municipality, is situated in the west portion of the island of Samar, with the Samar Sea or Maqueda Bay on its west. It can be reached via the habal-habal from the main Maharlika Highway down a winding 11-kilometer provincial road that begins at Barangay Balugo. 

A neighboring municipality is San Jorge, another 4^th class municipality. 

The Ayupanan Kontra Abuso Ha San Jorge (AKASJ), a member of the municipal CSO network of San Jorge which we organized in 2013, initiated a relief response for Tarangnan. 

Goods like rice, coffee, noodles, and sardines were solicited from the network’s members and other groups. Since people were prohibited from entering the municipality of Tarangnan, the relief packs were dropped off at Brgy. Balugo on May 24. It was rice harvest time, so people shared part of their harvest to Tarangnan. A local church facilitated the distribution to 20 family-beneficiaries.

The AKASJ was not able to take photos of the operation, like people packing the goods, because no one had a cellphone with a camera. They just dropped off the goods. Unexpectedly, a young person entering Tarangnan took the photo (above) and shared it with us.

Since March 16 when the ECQ was declared, I hadn’t had the chance to visit the municipal CSO network of San Jorge because of travel restrictions.

By: Luz M. Buenaventura, Western Samar Development Foundation, Inc.