The ignored ones during the COVID-19 pandemic

It is almost been a month since our LGU announced the Enhanced Community Quarantine to control the contamination brought by SARS-CoV-2 virus commonly known as COVID-19. It might be so boring to stay at home for the rest of the ECQ mandate but it is compensating as well thinking you saved yourself and your family from the virus contamination.

I noticed that there are those who had been ignored when the pandemic occurs. Who would provide for their needs during times like this wherein all had been ordered to stay at home and supplies distributed to everyone cannot even support a family for the whole ECQ period.

Here's my topmost list among them.




The young children who depend on bottled milk.

These little members of a family solely depend on bottled mild but their parents could no longer sustain their needs because of a lock-down and only rely on the relief supplies distributed by the LGUs to their barangays. It is very heart-breaking seeing these kids have nothing to fill their tummies as most of them do not eat foods yet and the relief goods only last for a day or two for a family of four to consume. Good enough that a friend of mine started a milk-giving fundraising campaign for these kids. The results are overwhelming as donations are pouring coming from the supportive sponsors.

Although the group cannot support all families with little kids relying on bottled milk, at least they initiated a move that somehow ease the problem of the family in sustaining the needs of their kids.




The homeless ones.

The homeless ones or the vagabond, who untiringly scorches the heat of the sun looking for food to eat and begs money to sustain the remaining hours until the sun seats.

Although the DSWD coordinates with the LGUs by providing assistance to these street dwellers, they cannot fully monitor them. It is our obligation as members of the community to inform and report to the LGUs and DSWD of the exact location of a vagabond and other relevant information for them to take action. There is already a law that prohibits us from giving alms to beggars and street dwellers.

The poorest of the poor who belong to the marginalized sector are the priority of the LGU when the city announced a community-wide lock-down. It would much be better if vitamins and medicines are included in the relief goods.







The mentally ill people.

Photo credit: derasachasauda.org

These are the persons who lost their sanity but yet stayed strong and have strong immunity. I wondered how they survived without any nutritious foods to eat and clean sleeping area.

We used to roam around the city to distribute foods to the street dwellers as well as the mentally ill people. You can read in their eyes how glad they are upon receiving the food which for them will keep them alive until the morrow. I do not know how the mentally ill ones perceive about the foods given to them but the thought of feeding the needy ones is just enough for us to continue our charitable works.

Will they just be left ignored during this pandemic?  Who will take care of them?





The stray dogs and cats.

I used to be a member of a dog/cat rescue organization. We brought along with us the stray dogs and cats that have no identified owners. They are treated for any illness and are provided with vitamins and nutritious foods in the shelter. Once they regained their health and free of any illness,  we set them for adoption to any responsible dog lovers.

The maintenance is too costly. Our group depends on the donations from dog lovers. We are thankful to Theresa Antaran Japsay, our senior member who offered her house in a subdivision as a temporary shelter to a number of rescues. When the lock-down was ordered, she just requested anybody from the group to purchase for the needs of the rescues as she can no longer go out to travel because of the travel restrictions. What worry us most are the rescues in the city pound and the stray ones in the streets.

I hope that this pandemic will soon end so that everything will be back to normal.

Donations are welcome to these different groups.

For the milk-giving program, you may contact:

Irene E. Eleuterio
+63 927 888 0142
FB: https://www.facebook.com/humphrey.castro.3


For the food-giving program, please contact:

Van Calvin B. Inquig
+63 920 402 8064
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/van.inquig
Website: http://ckdwarrior.x10.mx/


For the stray dogs and cats, you may contact:

Theresa Antaran Japsay
+63 966 344 7233
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theresa.japsay