Olive Illut, 23 years old, is a youth leader of the Nagkaisang Lakas ng Maralitang Navoteño Federation Inc. (NLMNF) and is the organization’s main documentor during the food kit distribution. “Sobrang laking tulong sa mga tao talaga kasi may krisis talaga ngayon (It’s a huge help because there is a crisis right now),” she explains. According to her, distributing the food kits while trying to maintain social distancing is a challenge. Movement in and out of the fish port and market is limited. They are now planning to distribute the food kits in front of the fish port gates in order to efficiently distribute the food kits.
The NLMNF is currently in partnership with Aksyon sa Kahandaan sa Kalamidad at Klima (AKKMA), a national coalition of community-based people’s organizations working on disaster risk reduction and management, and the Shared Aid Fund for Emergency Response (SAFER Foundation), to assist the daily wage earners affected by the enhanced community quarantine in Navotas.
The ECQ meant daily struggle of finding resource for food.
AKKMA led the necessary ground work for community profiling and community organizing. Based on its needs assessment, there are 1,400 families needing support.
Most families are unable to practice social distancing because of the limited and congested space in their homes. Some mothers also expressed their concern about the need for diapers and milk for their babies.
The partnership of AKKMA, NLMNF and SAFER has so far raised P467,720 to support 625 families. Each family received a food kit containing 7.5 kilograms of rice, 15 eggs, 1 kg of sugar, and 1 liter of cooking oil. Each food pack costs P500.
The beneficiaries are largely composed of pedicab, tricycle or jeepney drivers, construction workers, and factory workers. Some are able to continue to work at night as batillo (loading and unloading fish containers) at the Navotas fish port.
Edna Andaya (60) is a senior citizen who lives with five other people in her home. Her son is the breadwinner who does extra work at the fish port. However, since the curfew started, her son has not been able to go home for a month. She says the relief packs are a big help to the people of Navotas. “Makakatawid kami sa pagkain (We can live by with the food).”
AKKMA continues to raise funds for the people of Navotas.
Contact Ferdie Escoton at ferdie_escoton@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AKKMACoalition/
By: Sheena Pena, SAFER Foundation