Evelyn had the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in late July. She was confined at a government hospital for seven days and at an isolation facility for another seven days to complete the 14-day treatment period.
She was thankful she didn’t have to pay a centavo for her treatment, both at the government hospital and the isolation facility. Not only was her treatment paid for, but also her meals even at the isolation facility were covered, saving her money and the effort of having to ask a family member to bring her food every day. She said the food was good and enough for her to recover and regain her strength. The food part might be considered a small concern but not to her and her family who otherwise would have had to defy quarantine and travel by foot as there was no public transportation at that time.
The Cebu City Council is now deliberating a proposal to continue to provide packed meals to frontliners that include police personnel at the checkpoints, Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) doctors and nurses, the staff at the Noah Complex and the patients. Each packed meal is worth P100 for every frontliner on duty or for every patient. The total amount being asked in a proposal made by Councilor Raymond Garcia is P40 million.
The Council deferred action on this proposal last week after Councilor Nestor Archival pointed out that the Council already approved P160 million for this. Garcia, for his part, said the P160 million was approved last March or eight months ago, and, when the city was under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) for three months, the City “was feeding 15,000 mouths.” Garcia said the P160 was already consumed and there is a need to augment the fund.
It is understandable for City Hall to be prudent in the use of funds, to seek ways to trim expenses and to require a report on how the money already allocated was used. But the matter of the food packs also requires the use of logic.
There are ways to bring down expenses since, anyway, restrictions have been relaxed so there should be less police presence at checkpoints and Health reports showed a reduction in the number of Covid-19 infection cases needing hospitalization or isolation in a facility. There are, however, necessary expenses such as the food packs at P100 each.
The food packs would allow frontliners to stay at their post and not leave to get lunch or dinner. The packed meals to patients would also ensure that there is no unnecessary contact with people outside the facility such as their family members or Grab or delivery persons who have to bring them food should the Council decide not to grant the P40 million.
The Council can find ways to bring down expenses but it should consider food packs for frontliners and patients as a necessity in this battle against the Covid-19.