Charles Teves
Malaysian politician Kasthuri Patto posted a photo showing how the outbreak has affected the indigent in a major way which broke everyone’s hearts.
The poor man was spotted outside Patto’s home in Batu Kawan, scooping up rice from the ground, not caring that it was already dirty.
The movement control order (MCO) has made it impossible for the man, who was later identified as a foreign worker, to make money to feed his family.
He had just bought the rice and was on his way home when the plastic bag broke and the rice was scatted all over the concrete.
“It’s okay, I can go back and wash it. It is still edible,” the foreign worker told Patto when asked why he didn’t just leave it.
Patto was left touched.
“Foreign worker or citizen, rich or poor, hunger hits us the same way. Let’s look out for each other to make sure no one is left behind,” she wrote.
Rice is a staple for nearly every Asian country, and food, in general, is one of the biggest issues in nations implementing lockdowns.
The indigent of the Philippines have grown more frustrated than ever before, as the distribution of relief goods is not consistent. Even the poorest of the poor get no help from their respective local governments, and are left hungry. They can only rely on relief goods since most can’t work due to restrictions.
Unfortunately, people are still panic buying even when the areas they live in are considered low risk of having coronavirus cases. Grocery shelves are emptied out which makes it hard for other people to buy what they need.
Health is also compromised, given relief goods are made out of chemicals and cancer-causing ingredients.
The Philippines now has 8,928 confirmed cases, with 603 deaths.
