The youth steps in to help communities

While the world was caught off-guard by the rapid spread of a new coronavirus, it did not take much time for the youth and the spirit of volunteerism to step in and help neighbors and communities to cope with the health crisis.

- MARTIN A. SADONGDONG

When President Duterte implemented the “enhanced community quarantine” over Luzon in mid-March to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), many young people pushed aside the fear of contracting the virus and took it as their duty to help in any way they could.

A leader of the youth sector showed his concern for the people in his barangay through a plan to give the most basic protection against the virus — hygiene kits with face masks, alcohol, and soap. He drew from his own savings and financed the start of the project.

Meanwhile, his sister joined a church group to pack and distribute relief goods to poor communities while battling the fear of bringing home the virus to her senior citizen parents.

And, a group of young people with close friends among health workers, began to make personal protective equipment (PPE) to donate to hospitals.

The young leader is named Joshua De Leon, 22, the chairman of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) in Barangay 101, Tondo, Manila. Immediately after the President announced the order to put Luzon under ECQ, Joshua called the members of his council to discuss a plan to distribute hygiene kits with face masks, alcohol, soap and toothpaste.

He knew that the people in the poor community of Barangay 101 will be heavily affected by the lockdown.

But there was one problem: The council could not use the budget allocated to the SK since the letter of approval from the National Youth Council (NYC) had yet to be released.

So Joshua decided to draw P10,000 from his savings to fund the project. But his savings was not enough, so he launched a donation drive among his friends to raise the funds.

He produced hygiene kits for 300 families that belong to the poorest of the poor who lived near the side of a river and along a pier.