By Hanah Tabios The local officials of a fishing community in Basilan province will donate their April net salary as a gesture of support to the national government’s efforts to halt the spread of the dreaded coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The local government unit of Maluso town in Basilan Province unanimously approved a motion asking the Sangguniang Bayan to donate their 100% net salary for the month of April to the Municipal Task Force COVID-19 to show solidarity to the national government’s initiative. (Photo by Maluso Mayor Hanie Bud) In a resolution approved by Maluso town mayor Hanie Bud, vice mayor Al-Mashor Yasin, along with all municipal councilors, openly expressed their intent to join other national and local leaders to help address primarily the lack of medical supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) of frontline workers. “The Sangguniang Bayan will voluntarily donate 100 percent of the net salary for the month of April 2020 to the Municipal Inter-agency Task Force COVID-19 for relief operations in the municipality and for other purpose that the task force may deem,” it said. Bud told the Manila Bulletin that they will prioritize buying additional PPE sets, as well as adding food and hygiene supplies for the families in Maluso town. The move came just before the Muslim community is set to observe the holy month of Ramadan this April. “While majority of the local Muslim population would be observing the obligatory fast despite this current crisis, our commitment to help and serve our constituents, especially the poorest of the poor, should be in place, if only to cushion the effects of the ongoing crisis on their day to day activities,” he said. Prior to the approval of the resolution, the local government unit has already been distributing food packs and other relief assistance to its constituents since the enhanced community quarantine was imposed in Basilan province last March 25. Meanwhile, as of Monday, April 5, Maluso town has a total of 114 Persons Under Monitoring (PUMs) and three Persons Under Investigation (PUIs), with zero positive case. According to the 2015 population census, Maluso has 20 barangays with around 40,600 residents.