By Leilanie G. Adriano (Staff Reporter)
San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte—Some housewives in Brgy. San Guillermo, this town, are working double time to ensure all frontliners have access to washable face masks to protect themselves from COVID-19 scare.
As the entire Luzon is currently under enhanced community quarantine and authorities here are strictly regulating the movement of people from one place to another, Virginia Jose and a few others in the village who are into dressmaking business tried to craft do-it-yourself face masks.
Since the COVID-19 outbreak, the selling of disposable face masks from commercial drugstores has been scarce, prompting them to create their own.
“At first, we only thought of producing for ourselves and family but we were inspired to produce more for the safety of our community,” said Mrs. Jose.
Using leftover fabric from the making of singlets and t-shirts for fun run and other sporting events which they do for a living, Mrs. Jose’s team reproduced more face masks and P/Sr. Master Sgt. Noel R. Abad facilitates the transfer and delivery of the finished products to his fellow men in uniform who are manning the province’s border points.
They likewise invited other dressmakers in Brgy. Bingao, also in this town to keep up with the demand.
In between his duty as a police officer, Mr. Abad works with Mrs. Jose’s team in organizing fun run events in the province.
But since the government has banned big events are banned and is enforcing physical distancing, Mr. Abad said he has to find a way for the housewives to earn and be able to feed their family during the monthlong enhanced community quarantine.
“The housewives can work independently at home and we pay them for whatever they produce. This is also our simple way of protecting those who protect us in the field,” said Mr. Abad citing the police are exposed to risks yet they lack safety gears to protect themselves first.
Housewives Mercy Bueno, Virginia Jose, Madelyn Tabios and Evelyn Ronquillo along with P/Sr. Master Sgt. Noel Abad team up in the making of free face masks for frontliners who are manning border points in the province.
Lei Adriano