We very humbly ask our donors on behalf of hungry and very, very poor people of the Jesuit Mission Station (Sacred Heart) in Kalookan under the leadership of a vibrant, pastoral Jesuit, Fr. Willy Samson.
Below is his update about his experience. These are difficult times, we know. But please, support his work of mercy of feeding the poor in Caloocan, however you can!
At this time, because we are on lockdown in New York, please use this link: http://bit.ly/pjfdonate. Please select “Apostolate Fund” and indicate “Sacred Heart Mission Station” in the Comment box.
AN UPDATE FROM THE JESUIT MISSION STATION, DIOCESE OF KALOOKAN
FEED THE PEOPLE AND THEY WILL STAY HOME.
Peace!
After a week of Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), the poor people in the Jesuit Mission Station, started to feel the burden of having no job to feed their families. Most of them are daily wage earners, drivers (jeep, taxi, tricycle and pedicab drivers), factory and construction workers. When the government enforced the ECQ hastily, they found themselves no means to feed their family. The number of hungry families are getting bigger everyday. The hunger is spreading faster than Covid-19.
On the first week of ECQ, we were able to provide 250 packs of rice (2.5 Kg) and biscuits to the poorest of the poor. We made another round of rice and biscuits again after two days. Thanks to the donors of Bishop Ambo David and also our own donors (like Gerry Esquievel and the Enterpreneurs Organization of the Philippines). We have received donations also from my Facebook friends amounting to more or less 100,000 pesos. Realizing that the children are getting hungry also, we begin providing champorado and lugaw twice this week. Although we feel its dangerous, we don’t have any option, but to try to implement physical distance and wear mask while feeding the children.
At the moment, the ECQ seems impossible in this place. People are still lingering around in the alleys and basketball courts. They have small houses, staying at home seems impossible to them. There’s no such thing as physical distance in a small shanties. The talipapa or small markets remain open and normal for the past days. But now, when it was announced that there are some PUM and PUI are here in Caloocan, they people started to take seriously the idea of lockdown. The market now is under the barangay control. No one is allowed to go to the market without the quarantine pass. But sad to say, there are lots of fake passes here.
Now, even the “not so poor” people are getting hungry. NO jobs. NO money. With the people obeying the call to stay at home seriously, vendors of food are not allowed to move around anymore.
Caritas Manila have distributed one million worth of gift check to the Diocese of Caloocan. It was supposed to be distributed to the poor of Caloocan, Navotas and Malabon. Each family will be receiving 1K worth of grocery claimable in Puregold, SM supermarket, and Robinson. The Jesuit Mission Station received 500 GC worth 1K each and to be distributed to the poor. But everybody here is already poor.
We will move around this afternoon with the barangay tanod (to protect us from the mob) to distribute the GC to 500 families. This is a drop in the bucket. There are 40,000 people here in our Barangay 12.
At the moment, the people are waiting for the barangay’s help but nothing . There were pockets of giving goods to some people, but majority received nothing.
There are 15 Mission Stations in the Diocese of Kalookan. Many of these mission stations needs assistance too. In my desire to help them, I am also sharing some of the goods I am receiving to nearby mission stations being run by the female religious. As the appointed head of the 15 Mission Stations, I was tasked by Bishop Ambo David to coordinate with the mission stations head for common actions and support the poorest mission stations.
We will continue giving food to people here as long as supplies come in. But the demand is getting bigger. We pray that soon, the national government and the local government will act soon before the social unrest begins. The solution is very simple: FEED THE PEOPLE AND THEY WILL STAY HOME. DON’T EXPECT THEM TO STAY HOME IF THEY ARE HUNGRY.
We are totally exposed to people every time we go out. But we believe God will protect us. Some of the church volunteers have decided to stay home, which we understand, and so even the number of church workers depleted drastically. Manny Lucas and Gladys Badlon (JVP volunteer) are my constant companions working for the Jesuit Mission Station. It is our hope that we shall receive supplies of alcohol and vitamins (especially berocca) to maintain our healthy body and mind.
The challenge here is very high. People are getting hungrier every day. If the government would not be able to provide food the poor soon, the poor may think of looting and robbing houses. When these things happen, the peace and order of the place will surely collapse. We don’t want that to happen. We are still blessed today that we can move around with only COVID in our minds as enemy. We may lose more volunteers if their physical security is compromised.
Everyday, at 6:30AM we celebrate our private mass at Hurtado House with at least 5 people attending. Then we recite the Rosary at 6PM. Thanks be to God, we are still healthy and strong. We still have food here to eat. We cannot afford to stay home. We need to go out to organize food distribution. But worry not, we are trying our best to follow the protocol of physical distancing and wearing mask, In densely populated place like this, physical distancing is next to impossible.
We hope to receive vitamins and alcohol for us and for our church volunteers. Here, having a bottle of alcohol is a big blessing.
Please continue to pray for us too. We are in one mind and heart with the Society of Jesus, and the whole Church as we pray for a GRAND MIRACLE. But at the moment, I pray for a more realistic miracle, that everyone, including the poor, will see that FEEDING THE HUNGRY is a responsibility of everyone.
FEED THE PEOPLE AND THEY WILL STAY HOME.
Fr. Willy Samson, SJ
Head, Jesuit Mission Station
Diocese of Kalookan
