ILOILO – When duty called, people in the front line have to give up being with the arms of the ones they love. Instead, they focused on flattening the curve by helping the government in preventing the spread of this fatal virus.
Strict health and safety measures have been enforced here and there causing them to render more hours than they used to do on a regular basis. Others were even locked in the hospitals or their duty stations.
Recognizing their sacrifices during this pandemic, Kooperatiba Naton Multipurpose Cooperative (KNMPC) made a choice to make them their priority in their efforts to help everyone during this challenging time.
Instead of giving the usual food supplies, the cooperative gave out their very own healthy products like their best-selling natural juices made out malunggay, calamansi, lemon grass and mango extract.
The 200 bottles of natural juices have no preservative and were perfect in giving them the immunity boost they need to stay healthy and pro-active.
They were also provided with herbal supplements or vitamins, face masks and personal protective equipment (PPEs) which their cooperative members personally made.
“Our frontliners did most of the work during the pandemic. You could really see that they were exhausted at that time and it was just right to give healthy choices to boost their immune systems too,” KNMPC Manager Georgina Basco stressed.
For five times, they gave natural juices and other healthy goodies to frontliners rendering service in Cabanban-Oton checkpoint, Mohon Terminal in Iloilo City, Barangay San Nicolas, Oton and Buyu-an-Guimbal checkpoint.
Food packs were also distributed to 230 households from seven zones in Barangay Buyu-an, Tigbauan, Iloilo where their head office was located.
It has also partnered with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to fast track the distribution of cash aid to conditional cash transfer recipients under the Social Amelioration Program (SAP).
KNMPC is now operating normally while implementing safety protocols in dealing with recurring clients seeking loan assistance through their Sikad-to-Own and Tricycle-to-Own programs, saving and time deposits, among others.