Sadanga, Mountain Province refuses food packs, donates it to less fortunate instead

Photo Courtesy || Gabino P. Ganggangan @ DSWD - CAR

Cordillera - The people of Sadanga, Mountain Province headed by the good mayor Mr. Gabino P. Ganggangan have shown great compassion and consideration when they decided to waived relief packs to less fortunate in other areas. 

"It is during these kinds of economic hardships such as "food shortages", hunger and famine that the "richer or better of" (kadangyans) among a clan or village are expected to aid their needy relatives by lending their surpluses", Mayor Ganggangan said in a statement. 

The mayor refused food packs from the national government to be given to those more needy urban poors in the cities and those less fortunate in other areas who can't sustain themselves.

Ganggangan explains that waiving relief packs does not mean no poor and needy families in their municipality however, its "built in" and homegrown or indigenous social structure, values, and practice of taking care of their respective relatives, kins, neighbors, or kailyan in distress will work to sustain the need of the people during hard times or economic crisis. 

He also assures that no family shall go hungry in the municipality should the crisis extend longer. 

"Should this crisis extend longer to the extent that our needy families really run out of their rice supplies, we shall mandate the kadangyans of every barangay to open up their rice granaries (agamangs) to sustain us through to the next harvest season," Ganggangan said.

On Monday (March 30, 2020), Mayor Ganggangan informed the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO) that some relief food packs sent by the DSWD region are now available at the PDRRM office in Bontoc for lgu's that might be requesting.

He also instructed the MSWDO to relay their message that even if the lockdown will be extended, their municipality will not be availing of these food packs.

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Honest i-Kapangan returns P117,000 cash to the rightful owner

Cordillera - An honest iKapangan didn't hesitate to return a pouch containing large amount of money to the rightful owner as posted by Nobel Cabinta in his Facebook. 

According to the post, Joel S. Naubo, a native of Kapangan and a resident of Upper Cogcoga, Pico, La Trinidad, Benguet found a pouch containing P117,000 pesos which belongs to Mrs. Rosemarie Kidagan. 

Mr. Naubo deserves our commendation for his good deed that despite of the present crisis due to the covid-19 pandemic, he didn't desire to keep the money for his own benefit, rather he returned it to Mrs. Kidagan.

Indeed, Mr Naubo is one of the many Cordillerans who exemplify the Igorot culture of "Inayan". 

The "Inayan" culture among the Igorots signifies the fear to the Supreme Being. 

It helps prevent a person from doing things that are unpleasant and not good like consuming and owning something that does not belong to you. 

Meanwhile, netizens praised Naubo for his good actions. 

"A salute to u sir! In spite of this crisis we're facing, U still have a kind heart to return the money. May God Bless you for being a good Samaritan and be a model to each and everyone. God Bless you and your family," Margaret Walang said.

Kudos to you sir Joel S. Naubo. May the God's blessings come to you a thousand fold for your good deed.

Mabuhay po kayo.

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Baguio youth cooks and distributes food to the homeless

Photo Courtesy || Aki Inway Reyes

Cordillera - The homeless has become one of the hard-hit individuals affected by the Covid-19. Their usual source of living which is collecting plastics and cardboard and selling them in a junk shop has been halted due to the enforced Enhanced Community Quarantine. 

Looking at the needs of the homeless, a youth in Baguio started a mission to cook food and distributed these to them. 

A post from Aki Inway Reyes showed photos of him giving packs of food that he personally cooked and prepared. 

He said that the homeless were the most affected by the lockdown and enhanced community quarantine on Sunday. 

"While most of us are at the comfort of our home, beds or sofa while watching t.v. and eating food ready at the table, some people don't know whether they will survive the night without meal and keep on thinking where to get food," Reyes wrote.

"They are more affected by Sunday lockdown and enhanced community quarantine. Homeless who doesn't know where to get food that used to at least someone gives the way, but how is it now that people suddenly vanished in the former crowded city." she added.

Reyes' compassion to the homeless has urged her to make a mission of giving help to the needy individuals in the city. 

He also invited everyone to be part of the mission. 

"Please join us in our mission temporarily. We will share food every day for the homeless. We are giving donations of vitamins and fruits to be shared to medical front liners and barangay workforce and groceries for those who need help," Reyes said. 

Kudos to your kind and compassionate heart Sir Aki Reyes. May you and your team have more blessings to come and may the Lord protects you always. 

Mabuhay po kayo.

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Narda's to produce PPE suits for brave Covid-19 frontliners

Photo Courtesy || Narda's Handwoven Arts and Crafts

Cordillera - The Cordillera-based maker of original handwoven arts and crafts will be producing PPE Suits for Covid-19 frontliners and those working in the health care services. 

According to an announcement from Facebook, Narda's is coordinating with the Department of Health Cordillera for the distribution of the PPEs to Baguio City, La Trinidad and other nearby town's hospital and if possible to other nearby provinces. 

Here is the statement from Narda's Official Facebook page on how the company started the campaign of producing PPEs for our brave heroes in the health care industry. 

"It all started when our Director Lucia Capuyan Catanes, daughter of our founder Narda Capuyan, heard the appeal for PPEs of Lung Center on Tuesday, March 24, She consulted her father, Mr. Wilson Capuyan, and he agreed that the company must help out and he's very supportive of the project. Together they tried to source materials in Baguio, even Mr. Ryan Mangusan helped out in sourcing,  but  one available of the materials needed for the front-liners. Then they called their friend, Ms. Jane Lim of LLC Printworks, in Manila to source out. There were materials available! Ms Jane called back a few minute later to inform that Jerry and Cassandra Yeo were donating 27 rolls! A roll is 100 yards! More materials than expected, yay! But transport prepared for pick up is for less than that! She needed a truck! So she called a forwarded, Jessie Lugto of 12:24 Cargo Express, and he agreed for free! Thanks to so many people! And they rise up to the occasion selflessly. We hope that we'll overcome this pandemic with everyone helping out one another. Other donations are: Mr Wilson Capuyan - 15 rolls; Ms Ruth Capegsan - 10 rolls; Ms Alma Lizardo -10 rolls.

Maam Norma Mangosan contacted our cutters and sewers who are willing to stay in our workshop on our farm Winaca Eco-Cultural Village and Forest Homes in Tublay, Benguet. The work area and their quarters have been disinfected and readied. #TeamNardas starts work today. Everything will be provided for our heroes on our side... Our President, Mr Wilson Capuyan, supervise every thing, from preparations to coordination to production. He's gone into full gear helping out just like he did in the Big Baguio earthquake.

Thank you so much Narda's Handwoven Arts and Craft for your help in producing the most important suits for our hero frontliners. 

Mabuhay po kayong lahat!

source || Narda's Handwoven Arts and Craft

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Benguet Caretaker Rep. Eric Go Yap remains negative of COVID-19

Cordillera - The Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) has issued a public apology for declaring Benguet Caretaker Rep. Eric Go Yap positive of the COVID-19.

Yap was initially reported as positive of the COVID-19 on March 25.

According to RITM, the "results are by no means a false positive" and it said that the "isolated incident was brought about by an encoding error which was discovered late last night by the Molecular Biology Laboratory (MBL) of the Department of Health-Research for Tropical Medicine (DOH-RITM)".

Here is the full notice of public apology from RITM Facebook page.

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Barangay in Itogon uses unique way to encourage citizens to cooperate with community quarantine

Photo Courtesy || Marlon Palangdan & Ed Galuten Macthok 

Cordillera - In order to encourage its citizens to cooperate with the government's mandate of Enhance Community Quarantine, a barangay in Itogon, Benguet has came up with a unique way to show the seriousness of obeying the rules.

By using a coffin with a note, "Stay Home or Stay Here", front liners in the said barangay hope to instill to the people the importance of staying home to protect themselves from the coronavirus otherwise they'll get infected and end up inside a coffin. 

The corona virus is never a joke, and the personnel manned at the checkpoint are serious in their duty to informed the people of the worse result of not obeying the ECQ.

Netizens were quick to respond to the front liners' creativity by appreciating their efforts and sacrifice to prevent the spread of the deadly virus to the barangay. 

"I appreciate much the way the checkpoint personnel... our obedience is very important... otherwise stay here...," one netizen said.

"Please cooperate in order not to add problems to the frontliners. Take care brothers... protect your selves. Let's help each other to end this pandemic," another netizen reacted.

The Philippine government has been stepping up measures how to contain the spread of the coronavirus. 

Since March 16, 2020, President Duterte has placed the entire Luzon under an "Enhanced Community Quarantine which all cities, municipality down to the barangay level should strictly enforced. 

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Government workers on duty during Enhanced Community Quarantine period to receive hazard pay

Photo Courtesy || Presidential Communications

Cordillera - Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte has signed Administrative Order No. 26 which grants hazard pay to all government workers who are on duty during the Enhanced Community Quarantine.

According to the AO, it authorizes national government agencies, including state universities and colleges and government-owned and controlled corporations, local government units as well as legislative and judicial branches to grant the COVID-19 Hazard Pay of not exceeding P500 per day to their personnel who will report for work during the implementation of Enhanced Community Quarantine in their respective work stations.

The COVID-19 Hazard Pay also covers personnel who are engaged through contract of service, job order or similar schemes and who are authorized to physically work during the Enhanced Community Quarantine period.

Watch below as PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar explains the details of the COVID-19 Hazard Pay.

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Abra LGUs buy vegetables from farmers, distributes to residents affected by community quarantine

Photo Courtesy || Abra.Gov

Cordillera - Knowing the health benefits of vegetables, how it can keep the body's immune system  and make it ready in fighting infections and viruses, the local government of Abra has bought vegetables from local farmers and distributed them to residents affected by the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine. 

According to Gov. Joy Valera Bernos, vegetables are better options to be given to residents rather than canned goods and instant noodles. 

She also said that by buying produce from the farmers, the LGU can help dispose their vegetables because they were not allowed to leave the province due to the Enhanced Community Quarantine. 

Among the vegetables purchased by the Abra LGUs are chilies, tomatoes, and eggplants.

Eating vegetables can provide many health benefits like vitamin C which was found to be beneficial against various groups of infections including bacteria and viruses.

People who eat more vegetables and fruits as part of an overall healthy diet are likely to have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases. Vegetables provide nutrients vital for health and maintenance of the human body.

On Tuesday, Senator Pangilinan reminded local government units to support the farmers in the country when purchasing relief operation items for their constituents. 

Pangilinan said that "for supplies for its feeding programs such as rice, fruits, vegetables, and other agricultural products, local government units, in coordination with the Department of Agriculture and other concerned agencies may directly deal with farmers and fisherfolk".

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Local restaurant in Baguio donates food packs to Baguio City frontliners

Photo Courtesy || Bcpo KapanaligKo

Cordillera - Ask not what the government can do for you, but ask what you could do for the government. This timely quotation is what this local restaurant in Baguio did by donating food packs to the city's front liners who are working 24 hours to implement the Luzon-wide Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ).

In a post from the Bcpo KapanaligKo Facebook page, Emilio Veneracion, the owner of Dad's Place Resto can be seen handing over food packs to a police officer. 

The post said the food packs are for the front liners who were task to implement the ECQ as mandated by president Duterte to all local government units. 

"Thank you sir Emilio Veneracion, owner of Dad's Place Resto, for the food packs for our front liners. Baguio City never runs out of good samaritans. God bless you sir," the post said. 

In this trying times, the whole community is working hand in hand in whatever means they can do.

Recently big food corporations like Jollibee Group had donated P100 million worth of food products from its brands to frontliners like the health workers and on-ground checkpoint personnel. 

READ ALSO: People of Baguio City praised for their cooperation and discipline during Enhanced Community Quarantine

In its official FB page post, the company CEO Ernesto Tanmantiong said, "Our frontliners are our real modern-day heroes during this time of a pandemic, and it is unfortunate that many of them have little time to rest. The Jollibee Group is one with them in this fight and we hope that through our food, we can fuel their heroic efforts. We are more than grateful for what they are doing for our countrymen".

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People of Baguio City praised for their cooperation and discipline during Enhanced Community Quarantine

Photo Courtesy || Ruth Bantiding Antonio

Cordillera - When president Rodrigo Roa Duterte declared an enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Luzon to address the threat of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) four days ago, local LGUs began the strict implementation of it in their localities. 

Baguio city was among the LGUs that quickly took heed of the president's call of ECQ which was being supported and complied to by the citizens of Baguio. 

Part of the lockdown is the call for all people to stay  home and do not go anywhere outside without an important reasons.

A photo from a Facebook post shows how the city look like during the lockdown, the streets are clean, no people and less vehicle can be seen around.

An empty streets during lockdown shows the cooperation and discipline of the citizens of Baguio. They are united as one and work together agreeably for a common goal - to help the government in halting the spread of the virus. 

A photo from a netizen posted on Facebook shows part of Baguio's main road like Session and Magsaysay Avenue was totally empty. 

The discipline and cooperation shown by the people Baguio may serve as a model to follow by other LGUs in addressing the threat of the coronavirus. 

The government has been calling all citizens in Luzon to everyone to stay home with movement limited to accessing basic necessities like food, medicine and health care services.  

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