AID TO MANOBO FAMILIES. Some 70 Manobo families in Barangay New Umalag, San Miguel, Surigao del Sur, benefit from the food distribution conducted Monday (April 20, 2020) by the Army's 36th Infantry Battalion, in partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, and farm school Montanez Agri-Venture. (Photo courtesy of 36IB)
BUTUAN CITY – Some 70 families belonging to the Manobo tribe in Surigao del Sur received food packs Monday from the Army's 36th Infantry Battalion (36IB), the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and farm school Montanez Agri-Venture.
In a statement Tuesday, Capt. Jonald Romorosa, 36IB civil-military operations officer, said the recipient families in Barangay New Umalag, San Miguel town are among the most affected by the continuing implementation of enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) to contain the spread of the 2019 coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
“The activity aims to reach out to those poverty-stricken and disadvantaged areas particularly the indigenous people (IP) communities,” Romorosa said, adding that it was spearheaded by Lt. Col. Jezreel Diagmel, 36IB commander, Director Rey Cueva of TESDA-Caraga and Lito Montanez of Montanez Agri-Venture.
He said the distributed food packs consisted of rice, assorted canned goods, and noodles.
Diagmel said the Army will strive to help more struggling communities "in partnership with other stakeholders so that the needs of the people are sustained and delivered as the country battles with this unseen disease."
He also appealed to other government and private entities to continue giving to needy individuals.
An Indigenous People's leader was quoted in the statement expressing gratitude to the Army and its partners for recognizing their hardships amid the Covid-19 crisis.
“We are thankful for the 36IB and TESDA Surigao Del Sur for giving importance to us in this time of crisis,” the unnamed IP leader said. (PNA)
