By Czarina Nicole Ong Ki
Everyone's contribution matters during this coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, no matter how big or small.
Villarey ARB Cooperative Officers and frontliners sporting their improvised face shield courtesy of DF Laurita M. Baculi. (DAR / MANILA BULLETIN)
This is exactly what a development facilitator from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Cagayan Valley is proving as she and her family devote their time and resources to make personal protective equipment (PPEs) for health workers.
Laurita Miguel-Baculi, 59, initially created PPEs for her two children, who are both health care workers. "I thought of making improvised face shields because I was too worried about my two children," she said.
Miguel-Baculi used translucent plastic, foam, and strings to create the face shields. From there, she thought of making some more because they also have relatives who are health workers.
But Miguel-Baculi's big heart is not satisfied with just protecting her family and relatives. She wanted to serve more individuals -- from health workers, police, soldiers, and barangay public safety officers.
She then got family members to help her create more improvised face shields, and they posted about the free protective gear in social media in the hopes of reaching those who truly need it.
The response was overwhelming; the Miguel-Baculi family received praises left and right and people even offered to provide them with raw materials.
They have now produced over 3,400 improvised face shields that were distributed to the Cagayan Valley Medical Center and De Leon Clinic in Tuguegarao City, Nuestra Senora de Post Hospital in Piar town, and Tuao District Hospital in Tuao.
Their face shields also reached the local personnel of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in Tuguegarao City and the towns of Piat, Penablanca, and Pamplona in Cagayan. The BFP branch in Cabagan, Isabela was also supplied with the same face shields, as well as the regional office of the Department of Agriculture.
Miguel-Baculi has no plans to stop her initiative. She might be taking time out from her job as a government worker, but that does not mean she will stop serving the Filipino people while under enhanced community quarantine.