THE Metro Pacific-led North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) Corporation has joined the cause of community pantries as it donates food items in 20 barangays covered by its expressway network to help those in need amid the ongoing pandemic.
NLEX Corporation President and General Manager Luigi Bautista said the company donated sacks of rice, boxes of canned goods, and cases of noodles to community pantries in Caloocan City; Meycauayan, Bocaue, and Malolos in Bulacan; San Simon, San Fernando, Apalit, Mabalacat, Porac, and Floridablanca in Pampanga, and Hermosa, Bataan.
The tollway company has stepped up to support the ongoing initiatives of individuals who started setting up community pantries to provide free food and other essentials to the members of the communities who have lost their income because of the pandemic.
“We are deeply inspired by the bayanihan being exemplified in the community pantries sprawling across the country. We’d like to help ease the impact of the pandemic and contribute in our own little way especially in areas within the vicinity of NLEX and SCTEX,” Bautista said, highlighting that “this is also part of the company’s commitment to give back to our kababayans and efforts to strengthen our engagement with communities.”
NLEX personnel made rounds to hand over the food donations to local community pantry organizers. Safety protocols and other measures were strictly followed during the distribution.
Chairman Marites Chua Go of Barangay 156 in Caloocan City, thanked NLEX for the donations.
“In this challenging time of economic crisis due to the pandemic, such support has been very much needed. The true spirit of Filipino Bayanihan has been humbly exhibited to our neighborhood," Go said.
In 2020, NLEX along with other MPTC companies distributed food donations to 220 barangays within the MPTC expressway network.
They also provided Noche Buena baskets to 8,550 medical frontliners and spearheaded a donation drive to purchase 4,500 personal protective equipment for health workers in eight North and South Luzon hospitals.
The company also offered free shuttle and free toll to doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to support the mobility needs of frontline workers in Covid-19 response.