SETTING aside politics, the presiding officer of the Municipal Council of Arayat, Pampanga took it upon himself to feed 53,000 poor constituents whose livelihood where affected because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Vice Mayor Sixto Mallari told SunStar Pampanga on Tuesday, April 14, that he and his fellow council members Councilor Loi Changcoco, former councilors Jef Luriz and Che Lumbang have distributed food packs to 14 out of the 30 barangays in the town.
Mallari said people who are among the poorest of the poor in every barangay were given food packs which consisted of hotdogs, eggs and rice.
“In every barangay we have allotted some 1,500 to 2,500 food packs, depending on the number of people in the area,” he said.
The vice-mayor urges businessmen and concerned citizens to lend a hand by providing much needed food to their constituents, saying that in times of crisis the government and private sector must help one another for the betterment of the people.
“Hinihikayat ko po ang mga katulad kong negosyante na tulungan po natin ang atin mga kababayan dito sa Arayat, marami sa kanila ang nawalan ng trabaho at pagkakakitaan, kung kaya ang konting tulong gaya ng pagkain ay malaking bagay na para sa kanila, lalu na ngayong panahon ng crisis, sana magsama sama po tayo dahil gaano man kalaki ang problema basta tulung-tulong tayo ito ay malalampasan , hindi tayo papabayaan ni Papa Jesus,” he said.
Mallari said he donated his salary and allotted his personal funds to shoulder the purchase of food packs which amounted to P1.6 million.
He also thanked chairman Eddie Park of Gintong Pakpak who donated 100 cavans of rice and Councilor Loi Changcoco, former councilor Jef Luriz and his staff, former councilor Che Lumbang in assisting him in the distribution of food packs to their poor cabalens. (Chris Navarro)