Young farmers here have been sharing their harvest of fresh organic vegetables to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) patients and medical front-liners in this town.

In an interview on Saturday, Levin Umagtam, Pinablin 4-H Calasiao Inc. coordinator, said since the pandemic started last year, they have vowed to weekly provide 10 to 20 kilograms of fresh organic vegetables depending on their harvest.

Pinablin 4-H Calasiao Inc. is a non-government youth group composed of almost 500 young people from the town. The members of the group have community gardens in their respective barangays and they coordinate with local farmers for the provision of fresh organic vegetables to the isolation facilities.

“Para po ito sa mga nasa isolation facility at mga front-liners. Good for three days na din po nila ito (This is for those in the isolation facilities and front-liners. It will be enough to augment in their three-day meals,” Umagtam said.

He added they also thought the fresh organic vegetables will be good for the recovery of patients since these are nutritious.

“Makakapagbigay lakas po ito hindi lamang para sa aming mga kababayan kundi pati na rin sa mga front-liners na nagsasakripisyo (These could give energy not only to the patients but also to our front-liners who have been sacrificing),” Umagtam said.

Among the vegetables they donate are eggplant, tomato, string beans, and more.

“We also want to show that the young farmers have a big role even during the emergency health crisis we are facing,” Umagtam said.

He added each of the members has a role to play; some plant while some harvest, among the other things they do.

Katrina Laforteza, the public health nurse of the town, said they appreciate the efforts of the young farmers and even the local farmers and other residents who continuously show support and concern to the patients and front-liners.

“Nagiging emosyonal ako pagdating sa ganito kasi dito naming nararamdaman yong concern ng mga kababayan namin. Kaming mga front-liners inaalagaan naming mga patients, pero sino mag-aalaga sa amin, at ito nga nandyan din nagbibigay ang aming mga kababayan (I become emotional concerning this because through this we feel the concern of our town mates. The front-liners like us take care of the patients but as to who will take care of us, we have our town mates who provide such),” she said.

The project is one of the many advocacies of the group amid the pandemic.

Calasiao town is among the localities in Pangasinan with an increasing number of Covid-19 cases. (PNA)