Pasig City sets up community kitchen, delivers meals to its frontliners

Pasig City has set up a community kitchen that is providing its health workers and other frontliners with meals.

In a video posted on the Pasig City Public Information Office's Facebook page, Mayor Vico Sotto could be seen making rounds in said kitchen, thanking the staff there and encouraging them.

In an interview, Sotto said, "Ito pong mobile kitchen, sinet up natin para matulungan po 'yung mga frontliners natin. 'Yung mga frontliners natin na nagsasakripisyo. They are taking risks for public health, for everyone. Isa sa tulong natin sa kanila, para hindi na sila mamroblema kung saan sila kukuha ng pagkain."

The kitchen produces 2,000 food packs per meal, lunch and dinner. The mayor said they have distribution teams going to hospitals and health centers to deliver them.

Sotto said they could no longer find a supplier that could provide them the amount of food they need. He said there are over 40 health centers in Pasig, all of them operational.

"Wala na po tayong maorderan eh. Sinubukan natin maghanap ng orderan ng pagkain pero wala na po tayong makita na magsusupply satin ng 2,000 food packs kada araw," he said.

"Ang lumalabas po, gumagastos kami dito ng P153,000 per day. Per meal nasa P38. Cost efficient siya, makakasiguro pa kami na hygienic 'yung pagprepare ng pagkain, makakasiguro kami na makakakain ng maayos 'yung mga frontliners natin," he added.

This is Pasig City's latest move to help out its frontliners amid the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine, which prompted the ban of public transportation and closure of establishments.

It has also temporarily repurposed its Bike Share units to help frontline government personnel and health workers get to work.

Sotto earlier said he is also preparing to distribute 400,000 food packs and 8,000 bottles of vitamins to residents.

President Rodrigo Duterte placed Luzon on enhanced community quarantine to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

—JCB, GMA News