Due to the closure of schools and several establishments in response to the Coronavirus disease, it is without a doubt that the youth are not spared from the difficulties amid the COVID-19 pandemic, an official release said.
With most of their local government’s budget re-aligned to purchase relief goods for affected families, the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Federation of Pinamungajan, has turned online to reach out to their constituents and to help ease both quarantine anxiety and boredom.
Located 35 kilometres away from the metro, the town of Pinamungajan is a second-class municipality in the province of Cebu.
Despite being far from Cebu City, where the majority of the COVID-19 cases in the province are, and despite having no local COVID-19 case, the area is still under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
During the Laging Handa Public Briefing hosted by Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar, Councilor Charise Managaytay, the SK Federated Chair of Pinamungajan, shared their various online initiatives, which include an online talent contest.
The online activities are not limited to uploading COVID precautionary measures and government program updates, the organisation has to be creative and take advantage of any available platform so the province can still function, the Secretary said.
Dubbed as “Likay COVID-19 Tiktok Challenge”, the online talent contest aims to help ease the boredom of the youth and to keep them entertained while staying at home.
Also, the agency has initiated an online advocacy campaign urging the youth to upload slogans and message of encouragements for frontline workers, who continue to be of service during the pandemic.
Youth leaders in Pinamungajan are also active in providing logistical support for the repacking of relief goods and in distributing health and sanitation kits for barangay health workers and tanods.
Managayatay encouraged the youth to slowly adapt to the “new normal” and to think of creative and safe ways to help, as some parts of the country transition from ECQ to general community quarantine.
The provincial government of Ilocos Norte’s youth office, which is the Ilocos Norte Youth Development Office (INYDO), in partnership with the SK in Ilocos Norte has developed a hotline delivery service in barangays and online tutorials and classes while the province still observes community quarantine due to COVID-19.
The service is called, Bes, Siakon! At Your Service (I got you, friend!).
Because the movement of residents is still limited, the hotline delivery service and the Young Kadiwa Store authorises young people to serve as a delivery service provider for households in their barangays with compensation for their labour.
It is also an option for SK officials to set up their own mini-Kadiwa store with the assistance of the provincial government.
For the Hotline Delivery Service, the agency will be hiring three youth per barangay in the province who will collect, purchase, and deliver goods request by households, through the assistance of the barangay officials, to further limit the movement of residents outside the barangay. A total of 1,677 youth will benefit from this program.
