Palace: community pantry organizers should coordinate with bgys, LGUs; observe health protocols

Roque welcomes community pantries but reminds organizers about dangers of mass gatherings amid pandemic

 

(Eagle News) — Malacanang reminded organizers of community pantries to make sure that they coordinate with their respective barangays or with the local government units in their areas to help them enforce the minimum health protocols, such as social distancing, required to prevent further COVID-19 infections amid the pandemic.

Pressidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, on Monday, April 26, said that while government’s welcomes community pantries, organizers have the responsibility to make sure that such activities would turn into mass gatherings which are still prohibited amid still rising cases of infections.

“Malinaw po ang ating sinabi na noong isang press briefing ‘let a thousand community pantries bloom.’ Dahil ito po ay bayanihan, it exemplifies the best of the Filipino in the worst of times. Pero sinabi din natin na kinakailangan sumunod din sa minimum health standards at kasama po diyan iyong prohibition sa mass gathering dahil kapag tayo po’y nagkumpul-kumpulan, iyan po ang pinaka-sure na pamamaraan para kumalat ang COVID,” he said.

Roque said that the activities, if the minimum health protocols are not enforced, could even be a source of clustering of COVID-19 cases later on.

“Baka naman sa pagbibigay ng tulong natin, pagbibigay ng pagkain sa ating mga kababayan eh iyan naman ang maging dahilan para sila po’y mag-COVID at magkasakit,” he said.

 

Roque said it is important for organizers of these community pantries to coordinate with their respective barangays before setting up their activities. In that way, the barangay or local government that has jurisdiction in their area could help them enforce social distancing, and enforcement of other health protocols.

This is amid observations that the required physical and social distancing among those queuing in community pantries was not strictly observed.

“So ang panawagan po natin, ipatupad po natin ang ating mga minimum health standards at lahat po ng mga nagsisimula ng community pantry, kinakailangan po makipag-ugnayan kayo sa inyong barangay at sa lokal na pamahalaan para naman masiguro lalung-lalo na iyong social distancing, mask, hugas at iwas,” he said.

 

(Eagle News Service)