COVID-19: Lapu-Lapu City gov’t sets to give a sack of rice per household

Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan recently announced that the Lapu-Lapu City government will give one sack of rice to every household. Due to the mandated quarantine, there are people who have lost their jobs and have their livelihoods affected because of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). With that said, they decided to give 50-kilos of rice (apportioned at give to ten kilos per batch) to every household depending on the availability.

Lapu-Lapu City government sets to give a sack of rice per household due to COVID-19

According to Chan, they will prioritize daily wage earners and business employees. This also includes pedicab drivers, boatmen, hotel personnel, salon staff, and spa employees among others. Aside from that, City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) has also started to distribute rice, canned goods, noodles, milk, and coffee even before the strict implementation of the enhanced community quarantine.

Mayor Ahong also disclosed that they already gave five kilos of rice and grocery items to all households in the fourteen barangays of Olango Island. They currently remain on the second wave of giving food packs to the residents of the island. They gave the first batch before the city’s tourism industry fell affected to the heavy measures to contain COVID-19. Of course, this resulted to the cancellation of flights and a drop of tourist arrivals.

Lapu-Lapu City residents rely on tourism.

Around 8-thousand workers rely on tourism for their livelihood. With their livelihoods affected, their local government distributed relief goods. Aside from that, the city have already received an initial batch of 10-thousand sacks of rice. These, then, have been divided into five kilos to be given to the said residents and families. An estimated 10-thousand families will receive the rice packs.

After Olango Island, residents of the barangays in the mainland will be the next to receive the rice despite no public transportation operating during the community quarantine. The government will deploy modern jeeps to each barangay.