ILOILO City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas expressed gratitude to frontliners who pool resources to extend help to the needy amid the pandemic.
"It was the late American president who once said in his inaugural address 'ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.' Miss Patricia Non gave the first spark of doing what we can for our country through the first community pantry, an act of kindness that reverberated throughout the whole archipelago,” Treñas said.
“As Mayor of Iloilo City, I can only say 'thank you' to all the organizers. You are the new breed of Filipinos. You see a need and you immediately act on it. We can only be proud of all of you," the mayor added.
The City of Love earned acclaims for rolling out Uswag Community Kitchens for affected residents in almost all barangays and Kitchen Patrol for frontliners at the height of lockdowns last year.
Pantries have been set up by various sectors as donations pour for food and other basic goods of those who are in need during these difficult times.
City Agriculturist Office (CAO) head Iñigo Garingalao also initiated mobile pantry to distribute vegetables to 200 trisikad and tricycle drivers and food delivery riders.
Both CAO and Office of Executive Assistant for Environment Armando Dayrit through “pan-trees” are giving seedlings of vegetables and fruits for residents to start their backyard gardens for food sustenance.
City Population Office head Mary Ann Ramos and CAO also developed a leveled-up JPT Ediscape or edible landscaping into integrated urban farming of vegetables and fishery in villages by providing raw materials, tools and technical assistance to beneficiaries in the barangays.
The initiatives sustain food supply in the grassroots with the goal to reach more recipients to cushion the impacts of crisis.
“I encourage all organizers. Let us show our bayanihan spirit in helping one another. You do not have to be elected or appointed to help the least privileged sectors of society. I fully support all organizers of community pantries. You do not need my permit to help your fellow Ilonggos. Bátò (fight) Iloilo,” said Treñas. (PR)