Members of the Eastern Police District (EPD) in Metro Manila have joined the noble cause of setting up community pantries for the needy, distributing not only food and other essentials but also Bibles.
Director of EPD, Brig. Gen. Matthew Baccay, said their “EPD PaMaMariSan (Pasig, Mandaluyong, Marikina, and San Juan cities) Pantry” aims to nourish the spiritual health of beneficiaries.
“Ang sustansiya sa katawan ay hindi lang natin nakukuka sa physical na bagay kundi sa spiritual din. Kaya may mga Bible tayong pinamigay. Mahirap talaga ang kalagayan natin dahil sa Covid-19 at dahil dito ay baka makalimot na ang karamihan na lagi magtiwala sa Panginoon at sa pamamagitan ng pamimigay natin ng Bibliya ay ito ay maipaalala natin (One should get nourishment not only physically but also spiritually. That is why we are giving away Bibles. Our situation right now is very difficult due to the coronavirus disease 2019 and some might lose faith in the Lord. By distributing Bibles, we remind them to have faith),” Baccay said in a message to the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Tuesday night.
The “EPD PaMaMariSan Pantry” formally started on Tuesday and is stocked with vegetables, rice, eggs, soap, face shields, Bibles, and some reading materials.
All items are given for free to residents severely affected by the pandemic in areas under EPD jurisdiction.
Baccay also reminded beneficiaries to practice the necessary health protocols to prevent the further spread of the virus.
Meanwhile, acting chief of the EPD public information office, Maj. Eric Cister, said the community pantry they established near their headquarters along Caruncho Avenue, Pasig City is meant to augment their regular house-to-house distribution of food packs for poor families.
“We don’t really ask for donations pero pag may nagbigay sa amin, we accept naman para maipamigay agad sa ating kababayan. For Bibles sir, welcome po sa amin. Naubos na din kasi yung pinapamigay namin (We don’t really ask for donations but if someone makes a donation voluntarily, we accept them so that we can give them to our less fortunate fellowmen. This includes Bibles because our stock ran out),” Cister told PNA.
National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Chief, Maj. Gen. Vicente Danao Jr., likewise said the command is doing everything it could to assist the public amid the pandemic.
The NCRPO has rolled out the Serbisyong TAMA Caravan sa Barangay that aims to reach out to the vulnerable sectors of the community in the region.
Through a more systematic distribution of relief packs, the police force has provided aid to a total of 40,498 beneficiaries from March 31 to April 19.
These beneficiaries include the urban poor and other affected groups residing in the 1,735 barangays covered by the program.
Danao also said 31,222 health kits, 30,129 food packs, 3,701 medicine packs, and cash aid have been distributed to 64,494 individuals during the quarantine.
“Mapagtatagumpayan natin ang anumang dagok na ating kakaharapin kung tayo ay nagsasama-sama, nagkakaisa, nagtutulungan at nagdadamayan. Ipagpatuloy natin ang pagseserbisyo ng TAMA: TApat,may tapang at MAlasakit sa taumbayan (We will overcome any challenge we are facing if we unite and help each other. Let us continue serving the people with courage, honesty, and compassion),” he said. (PNA)
