JUANITO Manese, 78, lives in a shack in Barangay Arenas in Arayat town with no electricity or even the comfort of water supply.
Manese’s difficult life is even compounded by the ongoing enhanced community quarantine which meant that he could not go out to gather recyclables in a nearby junkshop for money to buy food.
The ongoing enhanced community quarantine proves to be a difficult time for most families but more so for Menese who lives with a relative who is mentally handicapped.
Being old himself, Menese is at an age that proves to be among the most vulnerable to the deadly coronavirus.
Fortunately for Menese, a police officer in the town had recommended him for the program of “Adopt a Family” under the regional director of the Philippine National Police.
Officers of the Pampanga 2nd Police Mobile Force Company (PMFC) led by Commander John Clark came to the poor family’s rescue and delivered a half-cavan of rice, one box of canned goods to the family.
Clark personally delivered the goods to Menese’s dark make-shift home the other day.
Clark said that the head of the family is a garbage collector and can no longer work during the outbreak of the corona virus and the ongoing enhanced community quarantine.
Menese, who was surprised by the kind gesture, shed tears of gratitude and thanked the police officers.
“The ‘Adopt a Family Program’ aims to provide the families with support and to ensure that families in the poor communities we serve, can also have hope during the crisis,” Clark said.