MANILA - Sick and elderly residents of Barangay San Isidro in Rodriguez, Rizal are asking the government for help.

Aileen Estanislao, 52 years old, suffered a stroke on September 19, 2018. In August, her older sister, 65 year-old Julia Estanislao, suffered the same fate.

The siblings, both residents of Kadayunan in Sitio Maislap, San Isidro village in Rodriguez, Rizal, are also suffering from gout and arthritis. Today, they are like prisoners of their walker and wheelchair, respectively.

Siblings Aileen Estanislao (with blue face mask) and Julia Estanislao (with black face mask). Sherrie Ann Torres, ABS-CBN News

To make things worse, Julia’s husband died of heart attack last year, leaving her the sole responsibility to raise their only child who is still in grade school. Their remaining hog also died of the African swine fever (ASF).

Both Aileen and her 65-year-old husband previously worked as “mangangalahig” or waste pickers. After Aileen’s stroke followed by the worsening hernia problem of her husband, the couple can no longer work to support their six young children.

“Kung makikita niyo lang po talaga ang payat-payat po niya ngayon. May sakit po 'yun. Nagtatae po yun ng dugo. Gusto po nyang ipa-opera yung luslos niya. Kasing-laki na po ng ulo ng bata," Aileen said.

(He is so thin now. He is sick. He excretes blood. He wants his hernia removed. It's as big as a baby’s head.)

Amid the lockdown brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, Aileen said their already hard way of life has become harder.

What used to be their cooked rice’s decent viand as a companion, has now been reduced to salt, which can worsen her health.

“Nagdidildil na lang po kami ng asin… kanina lang pong tanghali, kanin lang po talaga ang kinakain. Kahit gustong-gusto ko pong kumain ng, dahil kailangang-kailangan po talaga sa akin mga prutas at gulay. Hindi po eh, wala po talaga eh. Kailangan ko pong uminom ng gamot," Aileen narrated in between sobs.

(We only have salt. Like during lunch time today. We only had (rice and salt for) lunch. Even if I wanted to eat fruits and vegetables because I need that [for my health], there is nothing. So I ate it because I need to take my medicines.)

“Kakain ako ng kahit asin na lang para malagyan lang ng laman ang tiyan ko. Tapos iinom ako ng gamot. Minsan po nahihilo ako dahil yung gamot ko bawal yung walang kinain,” she said.

(I will eat even if we only have salt so my stomach won't be empty. Then I'll take my medicines. Sometimes I feel dizzy because I can't take my medicines without eating first.)

After she was discharged from the hospital, Julia pawned their motorcycle’s franchise so she can have a start-up capital for her small store and hopefully support her health needs and that of her daughter’s.

The COVID-19 situation, however, made things a lot more difficult for Julia.

“Mga gamot, asa-asa na lang kung sinong maaawa. Para kang pulubi. Kung sinong gustong magbigay ng pang-gatas, ng kape, ng tinapay. Para kang nanlilimos... iba yung may pambili ka ng pagkain na masarap,” she said.



(You will just wait for someone to pity your for medicines. Or whoever would like to give you milk. Coffee or bread. It’s like begging for alms.)

Julia and Aileen requested to be interviewed to appeal for their plight. Their relatives also reside in the same area, the sisters said.

But the effects of the crisis is too much that even their relatives are now also hard up.

Many people in Kadayuman, Sitio Maislap have gone hungry these days, Julia said.

Proof are their vegetables that were stolen. The vegetables were supposed to be harvested this month to serve as their own food supply, she said.

EXPIRED MEDICINES

According to Aileen, she has been missing a number of her medicines for days now, resulting in a more painful gout and arthritis.

Julia, meanwhile, resorts to taking already expired medicines.

“Kailangang-kailangan ng gamot at konting financial,” she said.

(We badly need medicines and financial aid.)

Until today, there is still no word if they are included in the P6,500 social amelioration program subsidy which their local leader said will only be given to 13,586 beneficiaries.



While they are thankful to have received food aid from their village officials three times, what they need more is money that they can use to buy their medicines and other household needs like LPG and water.

Though they know many are affected by the crisis and it’s not advisable to ask for assistance, the crisis is already too much for them and their children to bear.

“Kay Pangulong Duterte, sa mga iba pa po diyang may pusong mahabagin, tulungan nyo naman po kami. Kasi po iba na yung sitwasyon namin ngayon. Hindi po kami mangangailangan ng tulong kung hindi po ganito. Kaya naman po naming mabuhay, hindi naman po sa amin po yung pang-araw-araw kung hindi po lockdown... maawa na po kayo,” Aileen pleaded.

(To President Duterte and to those kind-hearted people, please help us. Our situation now is different. We will not ask for help if we are not in this kind of situation, if we are not in a lockdown. We are begging you.)

Situated at Kadayunan Upper is the shanty of 64-year old Benecer Mahimay, another waste picker whos lost sight in his right eye after a piece of a rusty roof entered his eye while working as a carpenter.

Mahimay’s wife cannot go home from one of their children’s house in Valenzuela due to the lockdown.

Mahimay is now accompanied by his 20-year old son who is in Grade 8.

BEGGING FOR AN HOUR

So they can eat, there were times that he would beg to the security guards of the Rodriguez Provincial Sanitary Landfill to give them an hour so they can scout for reusable waste that they could sell.

Asked what he would do when the time comes that they will no longer be allowed to enter the landfill, Mahimay said: "Ewan ko kung ano ang gagawin namin kapag hindi na talaga kami nakapasok."

(I don't know what we will do if we really can't enter [the landfill].)

“Iniisip namin kung paano kami makaraos ng, kung mabubuhay kami,” he admitted.

(I'm not sure how we can survive, if we will still survive).

A typical day blessed with food to eat these days is sharing cooked rice with either salt or sugar as their viand.

These days, amid their more difficult life amid the crisis, thoughts of going back to his hometown in Masbate often cross his mind.

What’s holding him back, Mahimay said, is if his children will not agree that they go to Masbate together.

“Gusto ko na nga sanang umuwi sa amin eh, kaya lang yung mga anak ko ayaw na nilang umuwi,” he said.

(I want to go back to my hometown, but my children don't want to go with me.)

Less than a kilometer away from Kadayunan, Sitio Maislap, are the relocated families from Quezon City, specifically, Tatalon, Baesa, Balintawak, Balara, Feria, Payatas, Manggahan, Litex and Bagumbayan.

Most of the residents worked as market freighters in their previous communities.

Inside the yet to be finished houses in San Antonio village, are around 437 relocated families who only rely their food assistance from their barangay leaders.

San Antonio Village Homeowners Association President Reynaldo Trinidad, Jr. (center) and other residents guard the community’s checkpoint in Barangay San Isidro, Rodriguez, Rizal. Sherrie Ann Torres, ABS-CBN News

Reynaldo Trinidad, Jr., president of San Antonio village, said they feel aggrieved because the Quezon City government that brought them to Rizal province is not giving them any assistance even if the officials in the city know that there are no livelihood opportunities in their new community.

NO AID FROM QUEZON CITY

Relocated in the area last June, the village has yet to be given direct water and power supply.

“Wala pa po kaming natatanggap through LGU Quezon City. 'Yung financial wala po talaga saka yung sa relief po na binibigay ng gobyerno namin… hindi pa po kami nate-turn over sa Barangay San Isidro,” Trinidad said.

(We didn't receive any aid from the local government of Quezon City. We have not yet been turned over to Barangay San Isidro.)

“Halos lahat po kami dito is taga-Quezon City. Ang mga trabaho po namin ay Quezon City lahat. So hindi kami nakakalabas para makapag-work. Tapos tinigil po ang pagta-trabaho. So humihingi po ang mga tao dito sa San Antonio village ng ayuda na magmumula sa LGU Quezon City,” Trinidad said.

(Almost all of us are from Quezon City. We work in Quezon City. We cannot go out to work, then they stopped operations. So that's why we here in San Antonio village are asking help from the local government of Quezon City.)



Only the village officials of Old Balara, Payatas, Bagumbayan and Baesa have extended assistance to the relocated families.

What they need are food, milk for children, vitamins for senior citizens, and financial aid.

Due to hunger, fistfights have broken out in the community, according to Trinidad.

“Inaaway na po talaga kami. Unang-una nasaan na raw po yung SAP na sinasabi nung government. Ang pinagbabasehan po kasi nila ay yung 2015 census. Papano po kami matse-check ng DSWD sa dating tinitirhan namin kung na-relocate na po kami dito. Wala rin po kami dito sa SAP. Kailangan po talaga naming makipag-ugnayan sa LGU Quezon City para po magkaroon ng financial assistance yun pong mga nasasakupan namin,” Trinidad said.

Barangay San Isidro chairperson Karen Mae Hernandez admitted they are having a hard time supporting the needs of indigent families in San Isidro village, which is home to 118,000 residents with around 70 percent belonging to poor families.

To sustain the daily needs of the people, Hernandez has resorted to buying rice from the National Food Authority to feed the poor families.

Hernandez also said they expect the Department of Social Welfare and Development to finally "download" the social amelioration program subsidy “within this week”.

Contrary to perceptions, not all who were interviewed by DSWD representatives are automatically included in the SAP subsidy, Hernandez said.



“Hindi po automatic qualified, lagi pong may depende. Kasi nga po mayroon pong requirements kung paano po kayo papasa sa ibinaba sa atin ng gobyerno,” she explained.

According to Hernandez, indigent families who would not be included in the final 13,586 SAP subsidy beneficiaries will receive a P3,000 cash aid from the local government of Rodriguez.



They will also ask the provincial government and their congressman to shell out funds to support families who are in need of aid, Hernandez said.

What is unclear is how many times they could give the P3,000 cash aid, Hernandez added.

“Sa una one time muna, para mabigyan din ng tsansa yung ibang tao na mabigyan din po. Yun po sa ngayon ang inilatag sa atin. Kung maaari po sana hihingin pa po kami ng karagdagan, kasi hindi po talaga enough ang nabigay sa amin. Lahat po umaaray dahil lahat po ay no work, no pay,” she said.

She also appealed to families who will not be covered by the SAP subsidy.

“Hindi naman rin po namin hawak yung ibababang slots. Sumunod lang po tayo sa national government. Hinihiling po naming na mag-antay po tayo kasi umaapela naman po tayo para madagdagan po kung ano yung ayuda na para po sa atin,” Hernandez said.