BBIF chair Irineo “Bong” Alvaro Jr. and Sen. Risa Hontiveros at the launch of the services of the medical diagnostic truck in Barangay Turu, Magalang, Pampanga. Contributed photo
A SMALL bamboo cart filled with canned goods, fresh vegetables and other food items was set up by a kind-hearted lady in Maginhawa Street in Quezon City who hails from Angeles City, Pampanga. In a cardboard was written: “Community Pantry. Kumuha batay sa pangangailangan. Magbigay batay sa kakayanan.”
In only a few days, many other community pantries sprung up in many parts of Metro Manila, and here in Pampanga. And all over the country, community pantries mushroomed that provided people whose livelihoods were affected by the pandemic with a lifeline, even if for only a meal. Suddenly, the spirit of bayanihan was alive, people helping each other.
Today – inspired by the resurgence of the bayanihan spirit among our people – here in Barangay Turu, the farthest and an almost isolated barangay of Magalang, Pampanga, the Bridges of Benevolent Initiatives Foundation (BBIF) of the Midori Hotel with Senator Risa Hontiveros is launching the fielding of a mobile medical diagnostic truck. The truck shall provide free medical diagnostics and tests, such as antigen test, x-ray, blood chem, ECG, ultra sound and others.
Our aim is to bring these services, which are otherwise expensive in private laboratories, free to our people who cannot afford the services and afraid to go to hospitals because of the pandemic. The medical truck is manned by volunteer medical professionals in partnership with Quest Diagnostics.
We are very happy that the office of Senator Hontiveros has thrown its full support, and has committed to the sustainability of the project to serve more people not only in Pampanga but other nearby provinces. Senator Hontiveros is one of the authors of the Universal Health Care Law. Through the cooperation of BBIF and the office of Senator Hontiveros, we may be able to field our medical truck on a year-round basis, even beyond the containment of the coronavirus.
For this initial project at Barangay Turu in Magalang, Senator Hontiveros’ representatives met with Mayor Romulo Pecson and Barangay Captain Juancho Manabat to assure them that those who will be found with comorbidity will be accommodated to public hospitals like JBL in the case of Pampanga, worry free of any expenses they may incur.
Aside from the local government units and public health institutions, this project is also being coordinated with local civil society organizations, making it a truly multi-institutional undertaking.
It is our belief that the time has come that private sector, though burdened and affected as well by the pandemic, must respond to the aid of our ordinary people who have been severely impacted by this crisis.
Let us make our communities “maginhawa” even at these difficult times.
We are at war against a deadly virus. But we cannot win this war unless we fight it together. Let us use this war not only to defeat the virus, but in forging unity and cooperation among our people and peace in our communities.
(Statement of Irineo “Bong” Alvaro Jr., BBIF chairman, 26 April 2021)
