A project initiated through the partnership of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Caritas Manila and Jollibee Food Corporations (JFC) would hand out 10 tons of vegetables and 10,000 kilos of “chicken guisado (saute chicken)’’ to the poor families in Metro Manila and nearby provinces affected by the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic.

DAR Support Services Office Undersecretary Emily Padilla said the agency with the support from various agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organizations (ARBOs) “committed 10 tons of vegetables to indigent people, while the JFC would provide 10,000 kilos of chicken guisado.’’

She noted that DAR would distribute the food relief in different areas in Metro Manila and nearby provinces “to benefit the poor constituents and the program would run from October until December of this year.’’

“Many people are affected by this pandemic, particularly those who lost their jobs. We believe that these food reliefs could help lighten their everyday burden of searching for food to feed their families,” Padilla said during the recent distribution of relief items to around 500 families in Santuario de San Vicente Parish.

Santuario de San Vicente Parish Priest Bong Sarabia said "the compassionate work of the DAR and JFC is a blessing to poor people.''

DAR Policy, Planning and Research Office Undersecretary Virginia Orogo said that DAR had already distributed around 2.5 tons of vegetables and 2,500 kilos of chicken this month.

“Aside from the 500 families who received the food reliefs in Santuario de San Vicente Paris, around 400 families from Samahan ng Nagkakaisang Pantawid Pamilya in Quezon City also received such relief,” Orogo said.

The agricultural products and vegetables distributed are harvests from the farms of ARBOs in the provinces of Baguio and Nueva Ecija.