ILOILO City – Indigent residents here were recipients of free reusable facemasks from the national government.
Officials of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) turned over Tuesday 500,000 reusable facemasks under the national government’s “Libreng Mask Para sa Masa” program.
“President Duterte issued Executive Order 49 for the distribution of free facemasks to indigents who could not afford to buy face masks,” said Melissa Banias, chief of the Capacity Building Section of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).
OCD, whose regional director sits as chair of the Western Visayas Regional Task Force on COVID-19, is also the cluster lead for logistics of the program.
The identification of recipients was facilitated by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in coordination with the City Social Welfare and Development Office.
According to the City Public Information Office, the recipients included beneficiaries of the Social Amelioration Program, members of the Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program, vendors, drivers, and families belonging to low-income sectors.
A total of 100,000 families from this city were identified as recipients; each family received five pieces of face masks.
Apart from facilitating the transport, Banias said OCD, on its own, has been distributing face masks and personal protective equipment to local government units and hospitals in the region.
Meanwhile, in his Facebook page, Mayor Jerry Treñas thanked President Duterte for the free washable facemasks.
The turnover of the protective gear also coincided with the distribution of assistance to individuals in crisis situation (AICS) to barangay and SK officials of the city.
The city government has allotted P5 million while the DSWD regional office allotted P2 million for the AICS.
“We always value the efforts of our hardworking personnel who continue to serve the community and led everyone to safety,” the mayor said. (With a report from PNA/PN)
