City execs buy crops from Aeta, donate to community kitchen

ANGELES CITY--Officials from the city government recently purchased the crops of a Katutubong Aeta farmer and donated it to the ci t y’s community kitchen for suspected Covid-19 patients.

IC Calaguas, Clark International Airport Vice President for Operations, and Angeles City Government Executive Assistant IV Reina Manuel made the purchase after seeing the Facebook post of Cecile Yumul, who happens to share the story of "Tatang Dibote," the Katutubong Aeta farmer who recently harvested crops composed of puso ng saging, kamote, taro, and saging saba.

Calaguas and Manuel bought the crops and donated these to the community kitchen established by Mayor Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin, Jr. to provide free meals (breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner) for suspected Covid-19 patients.

“Sold out na pu. Dacaladacalsalamat[to IC Calaguas] for purchasing the crops,” Yumul wrote on her Facebook post.

"The simple act has fed so many," Yumul's post also said.

According to Manuel, the puso ng saging cooked for lunch fed 130 individuals housed at the quarantine facility to date.

Calaguas and Manuel have been working hand-in-hand in helping people in need, together with Lazatin.

They are also one of those who pioneered the adopt-a-rotunda community garden wherein organic vegetable seedlings are being planted for public consumption.

To recall, they led the kick-off of planting activities at the city's rotunda with Mayor Lazatin, Gender and Development Head Mina Cabiles, Angeles City Economic Development Investment Promotions Officer-inCharge Irish Bonus-Llego and City Engineer Donato Dizon.

They have also been active supporters of the Luntiang Lingap sa Barangay project of the city government which was launched by Lazatin during the lockdown.

The city government is targeting herd immunity during the last quarter of 2021.

Some 173,313 residents and workers here received their first dose of vaccines while 91,932 are now fully vaccinated.

Lazatin is personally supervising the vaccination of the city government.