Robredo: Donate to community pantries, help small businesses

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo urged Filipinos yesterday to donate to community pantries and help small businesses as Metro Manila prepares to return to lockdown to prevent the spread of the more infectious Delta coronavirus variant.

President Duterte approved the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF)’s recommendation to impose the strict quarantine classification in Metro Manila from Aug. 6 to 20.

Metro Manila mayors urged the IATF to implement a two-week enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

“There’s still no assurance that there will be ayuda (help) forthcoming. They said no funds. We’re hoping that there will be but just in case there’s no ayuda, we’ll just have to help those in need,” Robredo said in Filipino in her weekend radio program.

“During the ECQ, if we know someone in the community who can’t go to work or is no work, no pay, maybe we can help the family,” she said.

The Vice President also asked the public to help those who would be hardest hit by the lockdown. “Let’s patronize those that have closed so we can help them especially the small businesses,” she said.