CEBU, Philippines — The extension of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) in Cebu City also meant an extension of help from Barangay San Nicolas to over a hundred homeless and stranded individuals in their area.
Barangay Captain Clifford Jude Niñal, in an interview with The FREEMAN, said their barangay have served as a temporary shelter to over 200 homeless individuals since March 31.
Niñal said a priest at San Nicolas de Tolentino parish had asked him to keep the street dwellers away from the sidewalk to prevent them from getting the COVID-19 disease. He had done this along with PNP Station 6 personnel.
“Naa nis mga sidewalk, naas kilid sa simbahan. Maong kaning pari niingon nga kap, mas maayong imo ning hipuson ni sila kay ug simbako matakdan ni unya naa nis daplin sa dan, una kaning mga mamalit sa kilid-kilid pud, matakdan unya ni sila,” said Niñal.
He added he wasted no time and informed the police of their plan to keep the homeless under the vicinity of the parish church.
However, to their surprise, there were a lot of them without homes or got stranded following the implementation of the ECQ that Niñal decided to transfer them to the barangay’s multi-purpose gym for safety.
At first, they were under tents courtesy of SK Federation President Jessica Resch, but he later took these down as they noted that it had also been abused, using it as a hideout for illegal activities.
Niñal said the homeless had been given food daily through his initiative.
“Nagpabaga na lang gyud kog nawng. Aside sa akong kwarta, ngayo pud kog hinabang bisan kinsa na lang para makapakaon ko ani nila,” said Niñal.
There was also a point that the number of beneficiaries has reached close to 300 persons, but the number has lessened after some of them were cleared to go home to their respective places after some concerned city departments gave assistance to the homeless in returning to their respective homes.
Before sending home, they were already tested for COVID-19 and were given clearance, if tested negative.
It is unfortunate that there was one LGU that refused to let a resident go back to their place.
“Inig human aning quarantine, aw bantay lang sad sila. Kay basta diri namo, negative na gyud na sila. Amo na silang giatiman diri,” said Niñal.
Aside from the homeless individuals, they are also supporting 160 families at Sitio Kalubihan.
Thankfully, the rest of the barangay officials already agreed to shell out some of the barangay funds for those affected by the lockdown.
“Karong na-extend na ang ECQ, imbes maginhawa na unta ko, murag bugnaw na pud tag singot ani kung unsaon nako ni sila karon. Taas-taas pa biyang adlaw sa extension. Maayo na lang naay mga nanabang pud nako. Maayo untag matabangan gihapon ko nila,” said Niñal. GAN (FREEMAN)
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