By Nel Andrade
PILILLA, Rizal- Instead of staying idle during the quarantine, members of the youth council in a village here found a way to be useful and make life bearable for senior citizens who are not allowed out of their homes.
The Sangguniang Kabataan ng Quisao (SKQ) in Barangay Quisao here has been offering to buy the seniors their medicine and diapers for free to keep them at home.
Through the SKQ phone number 09124239201, the seniors only have to give their name, address and items or medicines that they need to buy. The SKQ riders will then pick up the list , the booklet or discount card of the senior citizen and cash.
Aside from medicine, the SKQ said they can also buy milk, diaper and other baby needs, especially items that are not available in the stores in the town.
SKQ Chairman Jovi Hendrix Chan, a 24-year old registered psychometrician, told Manila Bulletin that he himself, and some volunteers from the Sangguniang Kabataan in his barangay, are the ones involved in the delivery service, making them volunteer frontliners during this pandemic.
“Masaya po silang mga natutulungan namin. Mostly medicines for highblood and diabetes ang pinabibili. Nakakatuwa po kasi, sila po talaga yung target na vulnerable at helpless sa sitwasyon, (The seniors are very happy and thankful. Mostly medicines for high blood and diabetes are the items they ask us to buy for them. We are happy to serve because our targets are the vulnerable and helpless in this kind of situation),” Chan said.
Chan said most of the medicines and essential items that their senior citizen neighbors need, are only available in the major drug store and supermarket located in another town, which is Tanay, which would cost someone from their barangay around 200 to 300 pesos for a two way trip via tricycle.
With the help of the barangay office, the youth leaders and their SK volunteers go to Tanay at around 9 a.m. every day and buy the items until after lunch time. They would then deliver the items to the residence of the senior citizens late in the afternoon.
Chan said other SK groups in the province expressed their intention to replicate the efforts of the SKQ in order to help their respective neighbors during this time of pandemic.