THE Covid-19 pandemic has caused health and economic devastation to most citizens of the City of Bacolod for more than seven months of dormancy, as community quarantine regulations prevailed, being the safest conventional means to contain the spread of the virus.

Only a few were given the opportunity to extend assistance to the needy who were left with no means to sustain their daily sustenance due to the lack of a regular income steered by prolonged lockdowns.

Atty. Caesar Z. Distrito, former councilor of Bacolod City, shared that "since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, we never ceased in helping the poor, the ones who had suffered the most especially during lockdowns. We tapped our families, friends and other civic conscious groups and individuals, including a partnership with Councilor Bartolome Orola, to bring food packs to the most needy, especially during the localized lockdowns."

Around 15,000 households were served in around 50 barangays since March when the lockdown started.

They also distributed through the barangay officials food packs for the affected families. The food packs contain rice, noodles, canned goods, milk, coffee and eggs.

"We give not because we have so much, but because we understand the feeling of having nothing. We have been there. I was born and raised in Magsungay, which is a depressed area, and I understand the plight of the poor. It is so unfortunate to hear the stories of those trisikad drivers, jeepney or tricycle drivers, construction workers, vendors, and many other 'remedyo-heneral,' their stories of sufferings and survival. That they cannot afford to look into the eyes of their children, and they have nothing to give, because of the restrictions of lockdown," Distrito said.

He added that people knocked into his door and pleaded just for a kilo of rice, as they were left with nothing. Even mothers came and cried, and would tell him or his mother Councilor Simple, "indi kami kabatas makita amon kabataan nga magutman, kasakit gid sa dugan (We cannot afford to see our children go hungry. It is such a painful experience)."

"We usually select the depressed communities, haciendas, or those in far-flung areas, as we believe that they are the people who need most of such help. Either we do it house to house, or sometimes conduct a market-style food distribution to avoid physical contact," Distrito added.

Amid the pandemic, the most who suffered from the brunt of this lockdown and state restrictions are the children, especially the infants.

That is why Councilor Simple Distrito, who is the chairperson of the Committee on Family and Child Care, organized a "Milk for Babies" campaign coming from her families, friends, and children-loving groups and individuals.

The project was able to serve around 4,000 children in the last six months, since March 15, when a stricter ECQ took effect.

"With the help of my staff and other good-hearted volunteers, and my son, former Councilor Caesar Distrito, we accepted requests online of their preferred milk for their hungry babies. Then we delivered it right at their doorstep," the mother said.

She said as a mother and a grandmother, she fully understands the plight of the mothers. Milk is the only food for their babies, and not all mothers can afford to breastfeed, so they need to have milk for their babies.

"It is heart-wrenching to hear the pleas of breastfeeding mothers saying, 'ok lang magutman kami, indi lang ang amon kabataan (We can afford not to eat, but we cannot afford to see our children getting hungry)," Councilor Distrito added.

Serbisyo Distrito is a name used to identify the community projects of former councilor Atty. Caesar Distrito and being continued by his mother, Councilor Simple Distrito.

One of the notable projects of Serbisyo Distrito is the Feeding Program where they were able to serve sandwiches or Piaya after they had partnered with Bong-Bong's Pasalubong and Milo Energy Drink.

The said program was able to serve around 40,000 individuals, and many of them were children, in more than 50 barangays all over Bacolod. They served it house to house because previously, people were not allowed to go out.

"We asked help from so many people, to sustain this activity. We understand that we cannot feed all of them, but at least we did our best to reach out and serve them something in a time that many of them have almost nothing to eat. Thanks to so many friends, relatives, and other civic conscious groups or individuals who helped us like Ian Lo of Grace Pharmacy, Mira Villan of Bong-Bong's, Emarken Panisales, Councilor Bart Orola, and many others. Even our friends from abroad, upon seeing all our efforts, had volunteered to help to sustain our projects, especially our feeding programs," Distrito said.

He also said that many young people volunteered and joined in their effort of helping the poor, especially the children. Their volunteers had to climb mountains, or travel to far-flung areas or depressed areas especially in the coastal areas, to conduct feeding activities on a continued and daily basis.

"Bayanihan spirit is alive among many of us. It is the kind of spirit that makes this nation stand, despite all the troubles and the pandemic we will survive. Just imagine, boxes and boxes of bread and juice drinks arrived because many wanted to help the poor through us. We could not afford it on our own alone, we needed help also. So because they have seen us working, many had trusted us and voluntarily sent some help," he said.