The municipal government here is hopeful to provide food assistance to some 44,044 families in this town following the reimplementation of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in the NCR Plus, including Bulacan, up to April 4.

Mayor Enrico Roque said on Wednesday that some 16,000 families from six villages here have so far received food packs at the start of the distribution on Tuesday and they intend to reach all the families within the ECQ period.

Roque said the municipal government has enough funds to assist the affected residents.

“Ang 44,044 food packs or ayuda na ipinamimigay namin ay tugon ng pamahalaang bayan ng Pandi kasama ang Sangguniang Bayan at ang mga kapitan ng bawat barangay sa panawagan ng national government na tugunan ang pangangailangan ng mamamayang nasasakupan (The 44,044 food packs or aid we are distributing is the response of the Pandi municipal government, together with the Sangguniang Bayan and the captains of every barangay, to the national government’s call to address the needs of the people under its jurisdiction),” Roque said in an interview.

“Our assistance is simply a matter of gratitude and also to show to President Rodrigo R. Duterte that we, in Pandi, support him in the fight against Covid-19 (coronavirus disease 2019),” he added.

In case the ECQ is extended, the mayor said the municipal government’s funds are ready for another round of assistance.

Each food pack contains three kilos of rice, two cans each of beef loaf, meatloaf, and corned beef, four cups of noodles, and 250 grams of mongo.

To maintain safe physical distancing, the mayor encouraged his constituents to put a chair in front of their respective houses where the food packs will be placed.

Last year during ECQ, the Pandi local government used the same strategy of distributing relief goods.

Roque said that this is their way to reconsider the health of the Pandienyos.

“Iba ang panahon ngayon matindi ang Covid-19 variants kaya ibayong pag-iingat ang kailangang ipatupad at dapat mabilis ang pamimigay ng ayuda dahil isang linggo lamang itinakda ang ECQ at kailangan naming maging maagap para maibigay namin ang ayuda para sa kanila within ECQ period (The situation is different now. The Covid-19 variants spreads more easily, that is why extra caution must be taken and the distribution of assistance must be fast because the ECQ is only one week and we need to be prompt so that we can distribute the food packs within the ECQ period),” he added.

Bulacan is among the four provinces, including NCR, placed under ECQ where strict home quarantine is being implemented. (PNA)