THE Department of Science and Technology (DOST)-Central Luzon donated hundreds of packs to frontliners and families to soften the effect of the ongoing community quarantine to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
DOST said around 400 families in Barangay Maimpis, which hosts the Regional Government Center in the City of San Fernando, Pampanga received food packs along with the medical staff of the Jose B. Lingad Memorial Regional Hospitalin San Fernando, Pampanga and Diosdado P. Macapagal Memorial Hospital located along Olongapo-Gapan road, received the same.
Members of the Philippine National Police and village officials manning the checkpoints along Jose Abad Santos Avenue, Barangay Del Pilar in the same city and Barangay Lagundi, in Mexico, Pampanga also received the food packs.
The food packs contain veggie buns, rice monggocrunchies and calamansi juice. It also contain one washable face mask. The first batch of assistance totaling 1,100 pieces were distributed last April 4 and will continue until after the Holy Week. A total of 10,500 food packs will be distributed.
Another 1,100food packs were picked up by representatives from the Pampanga Provincial Police Office in the persons of PSSg Henry Manuel, from the Provincial Police Strategy Management Unit and PSSg Jayson Aronce, of the Police Community Affairs and Development Office; Miss Madelen Jezer, nutritionist-dietician received the goods for the JBLMRH while Miss Erica Joy Paule and Leslie Ann Sarmeinto, both social welfare officers, received the donation for DPMMH.
Dr. Julius Caesar Sicat, DOST-Central Luzon director said this effort is part of the One DOST Against Covid-19 initiative meant to alleviate the adverse effects of the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine now entering into its fourth week of implementation.
He said the effort would not have been possible without the assistance of DOST Region III program partners who did not hesitate to extend help when contacted by DOST as well as private donors who volunteered to help.
“We would like to thank Culinarya Pampanga for formulating the veggie nutri buns, and baked by Lailen’s Bakeshop, a DOST-SETUP beneficiary; the DOST Food and Nutrition Research Institute for the munggo rice crunchies produced by the Gintong Kusina Producers Cooperative of Guiguinto, Bulacan and the Calamansi Growers and Rice Producers Cooperative of Concepcion, Tarlac, for going on extended work hours to produce and deliver the calamansi juice,” Sicat said.
There was a conscious decision to provide healthy food items to boost the immunity of the people whose physical activities has been greatly limited by the stay at home order for all citizens, Sicat added.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Science High School Central Luzon Campus, under its PisAYUDA: Siyensya para sa Bayan project, has also temporarily transferred its 3D printers and heat press machinesto produce face shields to be distributed to selected hospitals in the region. DOST Region III has also contacted a local manufacturer in Concepcion Tarlac for the production of protective personnel equipment (PPEs). It is also expecting the delivery this week of 840 pieces of one-liter bottles of 70 percent ethyl alcohol.