Unsettling times like this have undoubtedly started a wildfire of fear and panic. But if there is one thing this global pandemic has sparked and kindled more than ever, it is the spirit of ‘bayanihan’ or community spirit among Filipinos. Our struggles as a nation may be far from over but as we continue to extend a hand to those in need, we will always be one step ahead in overcoming this crisis. It’s moments like this where we see heroes here and there saving the day.
One organization we see going above and beyond is ‘Panday Bayanihan’. Under its initiative, with the support of generous donors, brave volunteers, friends, and family, the office of Sen. Grace Poe has already distributed food assistance, 2,500 personal protective equipment (PPEs), 1,000 complete PPE sets, 1,170 testing kits, 2,000 pieces of face shields, 23,975 pieces of face masks, 15,700 pairs of gloves, and 210 gallons of alcohol in most critical areas since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
Their effort did not stop there. Almost 2,700 50 kg sacks of rice, thousands of food packs, and other forms of assistance were given to the most vulnerable sectors, including transport groups in Metro Manila and different parts of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
Panday Bayanihan is an NGO that focuses on relief efforts which is led by Chief of Staff, Brian Poe Llamanzares. Through Panday Bayanihan, Senator Poe and her team are able to extend assistance to vulnerable sectors in the country. Llamanzares personally led volunteers in the repacking of relief goods and the delivering of sacks of rice to different cities nationwide. He also turned over the PPE donations to key hospitals including the Philippine Children’s Medical Center in Quezon City.
Making sure that no heroic acts go unnoticed, Poe expressed her gratitude to the frontliners and to those who lent support and extended a hand to make all this effort possible. “Malaki ang pasasalamat natin sa ating medical frontliners sa pagsuong sa panganib para maging ligtas ang mas nakararami. Sa ating pagbabayanihan, babangon tayong muli,” Poe said on her Facebook post.
Pulling no punches and putting no brakes, Panday Bayanihan has just completed distributing hundreds of sacks of rice in Quezon and the Bicol Region to help those badly affected by the recent typhoon.
With the increasing numbers of positive cases, numbers of individual, private sectors, and organizations who also help, thankfully, tower. It goes without saying that this is a piece of good news we are aching for and want to wake up to. Thus, here at alike, we continue to applaud and pray for all the seen and unseen acts of kindness, generosity, and love especially during this time. We will keep looking for more rays that can tide us over until we can fully get back on our feet.
—alike.com.ph
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