www.thefilipinopress.com Filipino Press June 13, 2020 - June 19, 2020 • 11 Filipinos Stand in Solidarity of the Over 250K San Diego Children Eligible Black Lives Matter Movement for $365 through federal hunger relief SAN DIEGO, CA -- In May 2020, “Children because of this pandemic Richard Barrera, vice president of the By JoAnn Fields an international outrage that has Borderlands for Equity and the Asian the State of California launched the are missing out on many enriching San Diego Unified Board of Education. SAN DIEGO, CA -- Filipinos and thousands in the streets protesting Pacific Islander Initiative among Pandemic-EBT (P-EBT) program to benefits that schools provide, but this “It is important that our families get the Asian Pacific Islander leaders and police brutality and their support of the others joined the caravan for social address increased food insecurity due program ensures students and their information they need to receive this organizations convened a solidarity Black Lives Matter movement. justice that spanned all over San to COVID-19 amongst San Diego families have access to the money important benefit.” rally on 54th St. and College Grove “It is not enough to just say Diego County for more than 7 hours children. Students who are enrolled for nutritious meals,” said Supervisor “As we close out this school year, Drive in the Oak Park neighborhood black lives matter. We have to do in 14 locations where police brutality in free or reduced-price school Nathan Fletcher, Co-chair of the San Diego Unified will continue to to take a stand in unison for the Black the work to fight anti-blackness in incidences and injustices occurred breakfasts and lunches are eligible to County’s COVID-19 Subcommittee. serve meals to students at our food Lives Matter movement. our communities; in all of our Asian affecting the black community. The receive a one-time payment of $365 “Let’s prevent kids from going hungry distribution centers all summer long,” This location is also the same place Pacific Islander communities,” states route and caravan was produced by for groceries in addition to grab-n-go and join the San Diego Hunger said San Diego Unified Superintendent Toby Diller a 31 year old Filipino Johanna Hester, President, Asian the leadership of Black Lives Matter meals currently served by schools and Coalition in educating families about Cindy Marten. “Schools may close was shot and killed by San Diego Pacific American Labor Alliance - San San Diego and the Black Womens community-based organizations while the Pandemic-EBT benefits.” for the summer, but hunger does Police officers in January 2020. Street Diego Chapter. March. This protest has been dubbed schools are closed. COVID-19 has increased not take a vacation. I would like to smart cameras and body cams worn Following the rally members the largest protest in San Diego’s According to the San Diego food insecurity throughout San thank Supervisor Fletcher and the by Officers Johnson and Downing of the Asian Solidarity Collective, history. Hunger Coalition, an estimated Diego County due to heightened San Diego Hunger Coalition for their captured their chase that ended with 250,000 children and youth are eligible unemployment and reduced incomes commitment to fighting food insecurity Officer Johnson shooting Toby. to receive the benefit. The Hunger associated with reduced hours and in San Diego County, and for helping “On behalf of the family of Toby Coalition’s Executive Director, Anahid closed businesses. Many families that us reach families who are eligible for Diller and his estate, 3 local attorneys Brakke, said, “If we can successfully rely on school meals to make ends the Pandemic-EBT cards.” filed a lawsuit against the two police enroll all kids who are eligible for the meet have limited access to the current P-EBT and school meals are not officers and the City of San Diego for program, that would bring about $90M grab-n-go meals provided by 33 of San a Public Charge benefit and will not the excessive and unnecessary force to San Diego County for hunger relief. Diego County’s 42 school districts. affect an individual’s legal status. used that caused the death of Toby. The Spreading the word about P-EBT P-EBT will help to fill that gap. Additionally, P-EBT may be used family wants justice for Toby and calls and helping families apply should be “Since COVID-19 forced the in combination with other forms of for an end to police brutality. Further, an immediate and urgent priority for closure of schools some three months federal food assistance including they want the city and the police everyone working on hunger relief ago, we have distributed more than 2 school meals, WIC, and CalFresh. department to be transparent and right now.” million meals to our most vulnerable Hunger Relief advocates encourage accountable,” states Ian M. Seruelo, California is currently halfway students but we know many of our families to make use of all available one of the attorneys representing the through its enrollment period. Families families need additional help as resources during the pandemic to Diller family. have until June 30, 2020 to apply for they cope with loss of income, food avoid experiencing food insecurity or Toby’s untimely death is what has P-EBT benefits online at ca.p-ebt.org. insecurity and homelessness,” said hunger. become a repeated story in the Black community throughout the Nation. The Black Lives Matter movement is not about their lives exclusively being important rather that their lives are equally important as all lives. The whole world witnessed the excessive police force used on George Floyd that caused his death by asphyxiation. A 200 lbs. police officer’s knee on George’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds caused
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"Those who have no access to electronic payments will still be done manually. But this time, it will be disbursed with the assistance of the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” he added. The Bayanihan Law mandates the provision of P5,000 to P8,000, in April and May, to each of around 23 million families in the country who are affected by restrictions imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19. “Realistically, we are hoping that at least a majority of the P105 billion would already have been disbursed electronically (next week) because included also in the data is about 1.5 (million) more or less beneficiaries would either be retained to general 15. under the 4P’s,” he said. community quarantine (GCQ) He said the IATF-EID is Senator Risa Hontiveros has called or raised to modified enhanced also expected to come up with for an audit on how the executive community quarantine (MECQ). recommendations that will be branch spent public funds and cited “Kapag ganiyan pong tumataas, presented during a meeting with the questionable purchase of alleged syempre po, may posibilidad na hindi President Rodrigo Duterte in Davao overpriced PPEs, testing kits and po tayo mag-graduate to the next City on Thursday. other equipment by the DOH. phase (Well, if the cases continue to “Bukas din po, pag-agreehan ng “it’s very easy to account for it rise, of course, there is a possibility IATF kung ano ang mangyayari sa because a big bulk of it is for social that we might not graduate to the next June 16 (Tomorrow, the IATF will amelioration. The rest were spent to phase),” Roque said. “If the trend come up with an agreement as to what buy PPEs, medical equipment and the continues, either magpapatuloy po would happen on June 16),” Roque benefits to frontliners. So, w'ere really siguro ang GCQ or baka babalik sa said. going to account for about a hundred modified ECQ (it will stay as GCQ or As of June 8, the Philippines has billion more or less. And given the go back to MECQ).” reported 22,474 confirmed Covid-19 number of PPEs and other equipment The quarantine restrictions in cases. that we have bought, that’s very easy the country were relaxed on June 1 Roque said the possible relaxation to account,” said Roque. despite the government’s continuing or tightening of quarantine protocols Stricter quarantine rules battle against Covid-19. in Metro Manila and Cebu City would possible if Covid-19 cases rise -- GCQ was implemented in be assessed “very carefully.” Palace Pangasinan, Cagayan Valley, Central “We have to look at the data of The government might be Luzon, Calabarzon, Metro Manila, Metro Manila and Cebu City very compelled to impose stricter quarantine Central Visayas, Zamboanga City, carefully,” he said. “Tinitignan restrictions if the coronavirus disease Davao City, Albay, Cebu City, and po natin ang case doubling rate. 2019 (Covid-19) infections continue Mandaue City until June 15. Tinitignan po natin ang critical care to rise, Malacañang said on Tuesday. Modified GCQ (MGCQ), on the capacity (We are assessing the case In a virtual presser aired on state- other hand, was imposed in the rest of doubling rate. We are assessing the run PTV-4, Presidential Spokesperson the country. critical care capacity).” Harry Roque raised the possibility Roque said members of the Metro Manila, the epicenter of the that the community quarantine might Inter-Agency Task Force for the Covid-19 outbreak in the country, be tighter anew, depending on the case Management of Emerging Infectious recorded a total of 12,243 Covid-19 doubling rate and critical healthcare Diseases (IATF-EID) would hold a infections. capacity. meeting on Wednesday to tackle the Cebu City, on the other hand, Roque said the classification of imposition of eased quarantine rules reported a total of 2,883 Covid-19 community quarantine after June 15 nationwide that would lapse on June confirmed cases. (MNS)