To assist the communities affected by the strictest level of community quarantine, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has organized rolling kitchens across Metro Manila and nearby provinces to provide ready-to-eat meals.
“Magugutom ang mga tao, hindi lahat may kakayahan na itawid itong ECQ na ito (The people will go hungry, not everyone has the ability to overcome this ECQ),” PRC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Senator Richard Gordon said in a statement issued Saturday, Aug. 7.
The imposition of ECQ in the National Capital Region (NCR) and other areas due to the surge in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases started on Aug. 6. “Kaya naman naghanda tayo dito sa Red Cross at ipapa-deploy natin ang mga food trucks (That is why, we, at the Red Cross, prepared for this by deploying food trucks),” Gordon added.
Through its “Hot Meals on Wheels” fleet, PRC will be providing ready-to-eat means to affected communities across Metro Manila and other nearby provinces.
Gordon envisioned a food truck fleet and this is now a reality as 23 of PRC’s hot meals on wheels will be deployed to the cities of Caloocan, Manila, Las Pinas, Malabon, Marikina, Navotas, Pasay, Quezon City, Valenzuela and areas in the provinces of Rizal, Valenzuela, Cavite, and Bulacan.
Gordon said that this initiative by PRC is in response to the imposition of strict community quarantine measures that restrict the residents to their access to food and other basic needs.
PRC’s food truck will be deployed to its 12 chapters in Metro Manila and nearby provinces that aim to distribute hot meals to 13,000 individuals.
Likewise, PRC will also set up a welfare desk and first aid station to ensure the safety of the residents and will strictly observe prevention control measures.
“Dahil sa paglaganap ng Delta variant sa ating bansa, at pagbalik sa Enhanced Community Quarantine sa Metro Manila, kaagad natin ipinadala ang ating mga Food truck upang makapagbigay ng makakain sa mga taong maaapektuhan ng lockdown (Due to the spread of Delta variant in our country, and the return of Enhanced Community Quarantine in Metro Manila, we immediately dispatched our Food trucks to provide food to the people affected by the lockdown),” Gordon said.