URGENT APPEAL: SUPPORT THE INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES AND GROUPS ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY COVID-19IN THE CORDILLERA

A message from the Cordillera People Alliance.

Greetings! We know that Germany is also badly hit by the COVID-19 virus but we do hope you are well and also your family and colleagues. As for us, we are striving to keep ourselves safe and at the same time trying to help communities and families cope with the current health and economic crisis. We have launched an urgent appeal for support (please see attached). Hunger is becoming a major concern but the government is not responding sufficiently to this problem. We’ve already started distributing some food relief and we intend to continue to do for as long as we can. But to do this, we would need some support. Please feel free to share this appeal to your friends and network who may be able to support.

Here the PDF for Download: Urgent-Appeal-for-support_Coronavirus

The Serve The People Brigade-Cordillera Disaster Response Network(STPB) and the Health for the People Brigadeappealfor your support for immediate economic and medical relief ofcommunities in Baguio City and Cordillera provinces, informalsectorsand displaced workers(vendors, construction workers, drivers of public utilityvehicles, musicians, visual artists, and othergroups), and health workers and health volunteers that are adversely affected by the COVID-19 crisis.On March 17, the Philippine government imposed a lockdown in the Cordillera and the rest of Luzon. On March 25, President Duterte was granted special powers to address the COVID-19 crisis in the country. Despite these, the COVID-19 crisis is worsening and indigenous peoples and the vulnerable and poorer sections of society are most affected. Indigenous peoples have beenhistorically neglected of basic social services by the government, which makes us vulnerable in this crisis. In the Cordillera, the lockdown has caused the livelihood displacement of thousands of people whoare now running out of money to buy food, medicines and other basic household necessities. Despite the need for home quarantine, many are forced to go out to buy food and medicinesand are thereby vulnerable to contracting the virus.Many also go out to try to look for money for their survivalafter almost two weeks of lockdown without income. Health workers have been running out of protective equipment. Vegetable producers are going bankrupt due to the drastic drop in the prices of vegetables and thelow demand caused by the inability of most people to buy their products.

If the lockdown continues for a few months, the survival of indigenous peoples and marginalized sectors are at stake not only from the threat ofCOVID-19 but from hunger and the absence of other basic needs. In an effort to help health workers and indigenous families in Baguio City cope with the crisis, the Serve the People Brigade–Cordillera Disaster Response Network and the Health for the People Brigade were immediately activated by the different peoples’ organizations that compose these networks.The following activities were launched:§Starting March 20, the Serve the People Brigade distributed relief goods (rice, sugar, salt, cooking oil, dried fish, monggo, canned goods) and vitamins to 22 familiesin Baguio City. It also started the making of facemasks for free distribution to people in need. STPB aims to continue to help providerelief goods especially to the most impoverished workers and farmers, and those who do not receive government relief.§The Health for the People Brigade,in partnership with the Philippine Nurses Association (PNA) Baguio-Benguet Chapter,haspooled volunteers whoproduced improvised Personal Protective Equipment (face masks and face shields) for donation to the health workers in the frontline. On March 23, the Health for the People Brigade launched a call for material and financial donations for the production of more protective equipment for health workers.We shall be utilizingyour support to continue our efforts in helping our fellow indigenous peoples and marginalized sectors in Baguio City and Cordillera provinces. Financial donations will be used to purchase food items, basic medicines and vitamins, protective equipment, and bath soaps.

HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT:MaterialDonations(for Baguio donors): §PPEmaterials(Acetate, Playmats, Glue Gun Sticks, N95 and Surgical Masks, Garter or Rubber Band, Alcohol, and Clear Garbage Bag)Drop-off Point: PNA Baguio City Chapter Office, Upper Session Road(beside PAMANA/Tsokolateria), Monday to Saturday, 10:30 AM to 4:00 PM§Food items such as rice, sugar, salt, cooking oil, dried fish,monggo beans, canned goods, flour; bath soaps, alcohol; vitamins–Please contact us for pick-up oryou may bring your donations toany of the following drop-off points:1.Baguio Indigenous Peoples Center(BIPC), CEMPO Building, Burnharm Park, Baguio City. Monday toSaturday, 9:00-11:00 AM.2.INNABUYOGoffice, No. 16 Loro Street, Dizon Subdivision, Baguio City. Any day of the week.3.Community Health,Education,Servicesand Trainingin the Cordillera Region (CHESTCORE) office, No. 232 Rimando Road, Baguio City. Any day of the week.Financial donationsmay be sent through Paypal (email account:cpaphils.1984@gmail.com) or by bankat:Philippine Peso Account: Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC)Bank Address: Session Road, Baguio CityAccount Name: Cordillera Peoples Alliance, Inc.Account Number: 1-326-72354-8Swift Code: RCBCPHMMRouting Code: 120280014Vehicles for Transportation: We are looking for vehicles which canbe usedfor freein purchasing and transporting goods. Push the government to act on our demands through social media, press media, letters to concerned government officials, and other possible ways:§Start nationwide free mass testing now §Distribute sufficient medicines and food to the poor. §Distribute free face masks, hand soaps, and vitamins to every barangay. Regularly conduct massive disinfection in high-traffic locations.§Secure necessary medical equipment needed by our health workers and hospitals (face masks, gloves, ventilators, personal protective equipment, oxygen tanks).§Additional paid leave for workers of the public and private sectors, both permanent and contractual. §Cashgrants for displaced workersand the informal sector.CONTACT PERSONS(members of the Serve the People Brigade-Cordillera Disaster Response Network and the Health for the People Brigade):§Bestang Dekdeken, Cordillera Peoples Alliance –cpa@cpaphils.org, +63 917 155 1570§Rayne Suyam, CHESTCORE –chestcore81@yahoo.com, +63 908 962 4706§Merle Mero, Center for Development Programs in the Cordillera –cdpc.envi@gmail.com,+63 905 228 6037§Renalyn Macay, Dap-ayan ti Kultura ti Kordilyera –mcamfili2013@gmail.com, +63 912 249 0196§Audrey Corce, Innabuyog –innabuyog@gmail.com, +63939 726 0905§Jeoff Larua, Tongtongan Ti Umili –jeoff.larua@gmail.com, +63 928 235 1998Thank you very much! Your support will go a long way in helping us cope with the COVID-19 crisis. SERVE THE PEOPLE BRIGADE –CORDILLERA DISASTER RESPONSE NETWORK HEALTH FOR THE PEOPLE BRIGADEAbout Serve the People Brigade-Cordillera Disaster Response Network & the Health for the People Brigade: Through the Cordillera indigenous peoples’ traditional practice of support system (ub-obfo, mabtad, binnadang, innabuyog, gamal, ob-obbo) in times of either man-made or natural calamities and emergency, members of communities mobilize and collectively work for the immediate relief and rescue of victims, rehabilitation of destroyed private or communal properties, search missions for missing people, and other necessary actions deemed necessary by the affected and the rescuing communities.The Serve the People Brigade –Cordillera Disaster

Response Network promotes this traditional practice of crisis and disaster response. The Brigade is composed of members and allies of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) and the Center for Development Programs in the Cordillera (CDPC), and individuals. The Health for the People Brigade(H4PB) is a network of individuals and groups in the health, science, medical and civic sector that aims to assert people’s right to health in various issues and situatio