We are pleased to send you this second update on Project Ugnayan. To expand our reach, we’ve opened up a third channel for food distribution. Aside from our first two channels – Caritas’ Project Damayan and ABS-CBN’s Pantawid ng Pagibig – we’ve started working with the Asian Development Bank and the Government as another channel of distribution.
We had a good week with Project Damayan. By Monday, March 30, Caritas had distributed P155.7M in supermarket gift certificates to families in the Dioceses of Manila, Antipolo (Rizal), Cubao, Imus (Cavite), Caloocan, Malolos (Bulacan), Novaliches, Paranaque, Pasig, and San Pablo (Laguna). The priests have now covered 628 parishes. These gift certificates have reached 155,741 families or 778,705 people.
We have another P343.9M in gift certificates in the pipeline for delivery to households this week, which should raise our total reach to 499,595 families by the weekend or 2.5M people by the weekend.
The Caritas parish priests and volunteers distributing the supermarket gift certificates house-to-house in the poorest barangays have been doing an incredible job. Aside from giving the 1000 peso gift vouchers, they have been writing the names and numbers of the individuals receiving the gift. This can serve as a good data base for any institution that needs it in the future. We have been providing the priests and volunteers with the necessary protective gear (masks and gloves) to enable them to carry out their work of distributing the gift certificates safely. Thankfully, none have fallen sick.
Our partners at ABS-CBN’s Pantawid ng Pag-Ibig project have also ramped up their distribution and have spread their reach to 16 out of the 17 cities in Metro Manila through the Mayors. Makati City has indicated that they are able to handle their own requirements and have kindly asked that their share be allocated to other cities in need.
In the meantime, the Asian Development Bank has entered into a food package delivery program with the government which starts this week. They have sought advice from Ugnayan where to distribute and we have directed them to areas in Rizal, Bulacan, Cavite, and Laguna where there are no supermarkets for gift certificates to be of any use.
A project of this magnitude and speed would not have been possible without your contribution. Your example of leadership has attracted even more donors to join us in the endeavor to help the poorest of the poor.
Once again, thank you for your compassion and generosity.
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