50K households in Guimaras to receive rice assistance

By Emme Rose Santiagudo

The province of Guimaras will be giving one sack of rice per household as an aid to the residents affected by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Guimaras Vice Governor Atty. John Edward Gando confirmed on Tuesday.

According to Gando, the provincial government targets to distribute the rice assistance and grocery items to the around 50,000 households in Guimaras.

“We will give one sack of rice sa kada household apart from the grocery items and other food assistance from the provincial and municipal government,” he said in a phone interview on Tuesday.

Gando said it was agreed that one sack of rice will be given per family upon the meeting of the municipal mayors, COVID-19 Response Executive Committee, and the Local Finance Committee on Monday.

“Guimaras Governor Samuel Gumarin decided na himuon na lang nga one sack of rice. Initially, one-half lang tani and since nakaumpisa na kami deliver sa iban sang one-half sack of rice, we will do another round of deliveries,” he said.

Gando said the provincial government will be purchasing additional 10,000 sacks of rice from National Food Authority (NFA) for relief operations for COVID -19.

Previously, the province has ordered 20,000 sacks of rice from the NFA, he added.

“We are ready to purchase until ang tanan nga 50,000 households makabaton sang assistance,” he said.

Only the province of Guimaras remains free from COVID -19 in the entire Western Visayas.

Gumarin has raised the level of response in the province by issuing executive order (EO) No. 43 placing the province of Guimaras under enhanced community quarantine from April 15 to April 30, 2020.