ILOILO CITY  – Santa Rita Magusara is a 34-year old mother of four children, currently living in an urban poor community in Barangay North Baluarte, Iloilo City.

Santa Rita, along with her fellow urban poor, has to work multiple jobs in order to sustain the needs of her family especially now that her children are in school. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Santa Rita works as a financial planner and also engages into “buy and sell” of clothes and cosmetics, which enable her to earn an average income of 500-600 pesos per day. “Prior to pandemic, I can say that our life is relatively OK because, for instance, I still have sources of income,” Santa Rita said.

However, due to COVID-19 pandemic, which affected almost everybody not only in terms of health but also economically, Santa Rita’s customers began to decline, making her family rely primarily on external help. Moreover, there was a period of time when Barangay North Baluarte was put under “surgical lockdown” due to the rising COVID-19 cases, which restricted the residents to move out of the Barangay for what ever reason, including going to work. “Now with COVID-19, I can say that almost 70-75 percent has been deducted [from my income]. I stopped [doing my jobs] since I have no customers left, because they also have no income,” Santa Rita said.

Santa Rita is one of the 400 beneficiaries of PCDR’s Relief Assistance for Families Severely Affected by COVID-19 in Iloilo City, where she received food packs composed of rice, mung beans, dried fish, cooking oil, and sardines. She also received hygiene kits composed of face masks, alcohol, and hand soap.

“I am very grateful to those who give us this relief assistance, because it is really a big help for us. I am grateful that I am one of the beneficiaries,” Santa Rita added.

Santa Rita calls for help, from the government and those from the private sector, to help them, especially those whose sources of income were severely affected by the pandemic.