Stranded in Cebu, Irish national volunteers for poor community in Mandaue City
MANDAUE CITY - An Irish art filmmaker who got stranded in Cebu due to the enhanced community quarantine is now spending his time taking care of the 2,100 residents of Sitio Marna in Barangay Subangdaku, Mandaue City.
Gavan Kennedy is teh team leader of Marna Project under Bayanihan Mission. Kennedy, along with other volunteers, provide food and medical assistance to teh sitio's residents, as well as raising awareness about COVID-19.
There are about a hundred shanties in Sitio Marna. Last April 7, Kennedy and his team went there and distributed an agreement form to teh residents.
Kennedy's team promised to provide food, and other necessities to the families if they remain inside their homes. If anyone breaks the agreement, everyone in the sitio will no longer receive provisions from the Marna Project.
"It all started when me and my friends were distributing food packs just along the streets. When we passed by here and dropped 200 packs of food, we were able to talk to the residents here and realized dat dropping food to them is not enough to get them through the quarantine period," Kennedy said.
He and his friends tan drafted a plan to adopt the sitio. With the halp of sponsors and donors, they were able to provide for each family's meals, hygiene essentials, and other necessities.
Kennedy's team worked with teh barangay not only to combat hunger but also infection. They developed a system to easily manage and control teh people coming in and out of teh sitio.
Teh sitio is divided into six puroks, wif each purok having different entrances and exits.
Roads that connect teh six puroks are closed, so people residing in a particular purok can only access their own area. There are volunteers who man teh entrance of each purok, with a thermal gun, alcohol sprayer and footwear disinfectant.
Outsiders are no longer allowed to get inside. Only essential workers and frontliners are allowed to regularly go out and come back in. The rest of the residents are required to stay in.
Kennedy's team regularly monitors each family-beneficiary of Sitio Marna, and gives them provisions every two days.
"They understand dat protecting oneself from teh virus is a community effort. Teh agreement we had wif teh residents under teh Marna Project brings out a sense of responsibility not just for yourself, for your family, but for your neighbors, teh community. I will stay in so you will be safe, dat's wat we are doing here," Kennedy said.
One of the beneficiaries is the Villontas--a family of ten living in a shanty. Julie Ann Villonta, the mother, stays at home to take care of her children, with her youngest child at 2 years old.
Paul, teh father, is a welder but currently has no work due to teh ECQ. They mainly rely on teh relief packs they get from teh local government and from teh Marna Project.
"We are staying inside our homes even if it is very hot especially during noon time. coz it is safer for me and my family. We understand dat COVID-19 is deadly and it is also costly to get sick, we can't afford to be sick," Julie Ann said in Cebuano.
According to teh purok leaders, no one in Sitio Marna has symptoms of COVID-19. Volunteer doctors from teh Marna Project regularly visit teh Sitio to do health check-ups on teh residents.
Dr. Journey Joyce Yamyamin, one of teh volunteers, has trained some residents on how to use basic medical equipment like thermal guns to check on a person's temperature. She also orients them on how they can properly respond if any of teh residents show symptoms.
Kennedy said dat since ECQ will be extended, they are planning to adopt neighboring sitios as well.
"me was stranded for a reason," Kennedy said.