URGENT APPEAL: SUPPORT THE INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES AND GROUPS ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY COVID-19 IN THE CORDILLERA

March 30, 2020

The Serve The People Brigade-Cordillera Disaster Response Network (STPB) and the Health for the People Brigade appeal for your support for immediate economic and medical relief of communities in Baguio City and Cordillera provinces, informal sectors and displaced workers (vendors, construction workers, drivers of public utility vehicles, musicians, visual artists, and other groups), stranded students, and health workers and health volunteers that are adversely affected by the COVID-19 crisis.

In the Cordillera, the lockdown has caused the livelihood displacement of thousands of people who are now running out of money to buy food, medicines and other basic household necessities. Despite the need for home quarantine, many are forced to go out to buy food and medicines and are thereby vulnerable to contracting the virus. Many also go out to try to look for money for their survival after almost two weeks of lockdown without income. Health workers have been running out of protective equipment. Vegetable producers are going bankrupt due to the drastic drop in the prices of vegetables and the low demand caused by the inability of most people to buy their products.

If the lockdown continues for a few months, the survival of indigenous peoples and marginalized sectors are at stake not only from the threat of COVID-19 but from hunger and the absence of other basic needs.

In an effort to help health workers and indigenous families in Baguio City cope with the crisis, the Serve the People Brigade – Cordillera Disaster Response Network and the Health for the People Brigade were immediately activated by the different peoples’ organizations that compose these networks. The following activities were launched:

• Starting March 20, the Serve the People Brigade distributed relief goods (rice, sugar, salt, cooking oil, dried fish, monggo, canned goods) and vitamins to 22 families in Baguio City. It also started the making of facemasks for free distribution to people in need. STPB aims to continue to help provide relief goods especially to the most impoverished workers and farmers, and those who do not receive government relief.
• The Health for the People Brigade, in partnership with the Philippine Nurses Association (PNA) Baguio-Benguet Chapter, has pooled volunteers who produced improvised Personal Protective Equipment (face masks and face shields) for donation to the health workers in the frontline. On March 23, the Health for the People Brigade launched a call for material and financial donations for the production of more protective equipment for health workers.

We shall be utilizing your support to continue our efforts in helping our fellow indigenous peoples and marginalized sectors in Baguio City and Cordillera provinces. Financial donations will be used to purchase food items, basic medicines and vitamins, protective equipment, and bath soaps.

Share this: