HOUSE leaders led by Majority Leader and Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin G. Romualdez strongly endorsed the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) partnership for recovery or Bayanihan in action to help President Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte mitigate the impact of hunger and unemployment to poor families facing another round of hard lockdown due to coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Romualdez and House leaders aired their support to the BARANGAYanihan (Bayanihan sa Barangay) Help and Food Bank in the National Capital Region Police Offices (NCRPO) that Police Lieutenant Colonel Alexy E. Sonido, Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Station 6 (Batasan) commander, presented to them.

“This Bayanihan sa Barangay program of PNP is a genuine malasakit and love for our people. The community-led projects are helping to keep afloat those who have been seriously affected by the pandemic,” Romualdez, chairman of the House Committee on Rules.

Acting on the proposal of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) and mayors, President Duterte approved the suggestion to place Metro Manila under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) from August 6 to 20, 2021.

Other lawmakers who backed and contributed to the program were Tingog Party-list Rep. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez, House Deputy Majority Leader and Cavite Rep. Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla, TGP Party-list Rep. Jose “Bong” J. Teves, Jr., and House Deputy Majority Leader and Camiguin Rep. Xavier Jesus “XJ” Romualdo.

Sonido, who paid a courtesy call on Romualdez, said the QCPD Station 6 that he led has initiated the distribution of porridge, soups, other cooked food, health kits, food packs or relief goods, multi-vitamins, other medicines for hypertension, allergy, etc., cash or financial assistance, bibles, learning materials and school supplies for the students of public schools.

“To boost and sustain the various activities under this program, we need the support from stakeholders. Thus, we encourage you to partner with our police station in these undertakings, for the benefit of the above beneficiaries,” Sonido said during the meeting held at the Majority Leader’s Office at Batasan Complex in Quezon City that was also attended by Police Corporal Jona Moana Sobrevilla and Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Director III Raquel “Kelly” C. Ramos.

According to Sonido, the main beneficiaries of the program are the urban poor community, informal settlers, jeepney-tricycle drivers, Muslim Community, barangay tanods, civilian volunteers (CVOs), Kabataan Kontra Droga at Terorismo (KKDAT), and Barangay Peacekeeping Action Teams (BPATs).

Romualdez, president of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD), thanked Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, NCRPO Chief Police Major General Vicente Danao, Jr., and Sonido for their collective efforts in helping President Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte mitigate the impact of the pandemic to the lives of Filipino people.

“While President Duterte has been providing social safety nets and emergency assistance programs to affected families, your initiative has been doing wonders to help our government battle this pandemic,” Romualdez, a lawyer from the University of the Philippines (UP) and president of the Philippine Constitution Association (Philconsa) or the oldest association of legal luminaries in the country. Sonido underscored the importance to help “majority of the Filipino families who are economically challenged.”

He explained that the PNP leadership under Eleazar and Danao has launched the BARANGAYanihan in NCRPO as part of its social responsibility in this time of COVID-19 pandemic.

“Through our partnership, we could fill a portion of the basic needs of each beneficiary during this extraordinary time,” Sonido explained, adding that Sobrevilla can be reached through 09171060408 for possible assistance to the BARANGAYanihan.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Ryan Ponce Pacpaco