Group buys farmers’ produce for donation drive

HEALTHY RELIEF AID. Members of the group, Friends of Bongbong Marcos, hold a donation drive along Banawe Avenue in Quezon City on Saturday (April 11, 2020). The group bought vegetables from small farmers in Benguet, packed them into 500 bags, and donated them to 20 barangays in Quezon City. In photo are (from left) lawyer Larry Gadon; Phil Villamor; captain of recipient Barangay Mariana, Regina San Miguel; and Herbert Martinez. (PNA photo by Christine Cudis)

MANILA – A private group has reached out to small farmers in Benguet province, bought their vegetable harvest, and gave them away as relief aid to residents of Quezon City.

Lawyer Thorsson Keith, who hails from Benguet and is a member of the Friends of Bongbong Marcos group, said they wanted to save the farmers’ produce from being wasted and at the same time, offer some healthy food to the public, especially those affected by the enhanced community quarantine that was implemented to control the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

“We really looked for these small farmers. We bought the vegetables from them directly and it was hard looking for them,” Keith said in an interview on Saturday morning. “But we did not want to connect with a middleman because we want to somehow extend help to the farmers themselves. Instead (of them) weep(ing) over spoiled harvest, we saved it and set up a distribution drive for people in quarantine.”

The truck came all the way from Benguet and arrived at Quezon City at 7 a.m., carrying 500 bags each containing 5 kg. of assorted fresh veggies — bok choy, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, carrots, potatoes, red bell peppers, and Baguio beans.

The bags of veggies were donated to 20 barangays in the city, which will distribute them to their constituents.

Phil Villamor, the organizer of the drive, said the group was inspired by President Rodrigo Duterte’s call for private individuals “to help if they can give help.”

“This is a group effort. At least 15 of us shelled out money from our own pockets. We have extra with us so we want to participate in the aid and we thought that if we are going to help, we have to give the recipients something that is healthy because we saw from the news that it was always canned goods. It is a health crisis, so we need to eat food that will build our immune system,” he said.

Donors for Saturday’s donation drive were Keith, Villamor, Arthur Andrey, Herminio Buerano, Conrado Dieza, Norbert Comafay, Reynaldo Berroya, Louie Ticman, Eickle de Asis, Herbert Martinez, Archie Tayocnog, and others who requested anonymity.

Villamor said this was only the first of several donation drives of the group.

“Hopefully, we can have more for the next ones,” he said.

Lawyer Larry Gadon, also a member of the group, said those who want to join their campaign could reach him through his social media platforms or his mobile number 0917-995-4333.

“We would prefer the contributions to be in-kind – food items or other basic necessities,” he said.