Even actresses are not spared from the Luzon-wide quarantine curfew.
Bela Padilla was greeted by an improvised barricade as she reached Mandaluyong City after distributing packaged goods to Metro Manila’s street vendors affected by the quarantine over the threat of COVID-19.
The 28-year-old actress shared a photo of a temporary barricade set up by the authorities in light of the enhanced community quarantine where cities and municipalities in Luzon have respective checkpoints and curfew hours to regulate movement.
“Plot twist: Inabutan ako ng curfew. Pano ko uuwi? Hahhaha,” Padilla wrote.
She shared her post on Thursday, 8:32 p.m., minutes after the 8:00 p.m. curfew implemented by Mandaluyong City. It is lifted every 5:00 a.m. until April 14, 2020.
Plot twist: inabutan ako ng curfew. Pano ko uuwi? Hahhaha pic.twitter.com/Shi8imPiTL
— Bela Padilla (@padillabela) March 19, 2020
Padilla’s series of Instagram stories showed that she was accompanied by the Philippine Army during her voluntary mission until she went back home.
“10 p.m. Hi, guys! We are officially done. Ihahatid nila ako pauwi,” she said, while panning the camera to show the members of the army, who are also her companions.
The actress assured her followers that she was able to reach her house and added she will isolate herself “for a few days” as precautionary measures after interacting with several communities during her fundraising drive.
Padilla early this week launched an online fundraising campaign called “Pagkain Para sa Pinoy.” She initially tried to raise just P1 million for the packaged goods that would benefit street vendors in the metro whose livelihoods have been severely affected by the imposed quarantine.
However, Padilla’s donation drive collected P3.3 million in just three days.
Padilla coordinated with local government units, some private companies, fellow actor Matteo Guidicelli and celebrity manager Pia Campos in order to distribute the packaged goods to the public.
Almost done packing! Heading out in a bit! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/b3ZvKo2NcJ
— Bela Padilla (@padillabela) March 19, 2020
She announced on Instagram that she is willing to do another batch of fundraising drive in cooperation with the Philippine Army if the public would still help her raise donations.
Padilla, likewise, shared her observations while handing out relief goods in various cities. She said most cities are complying with the community quarantine but added that there a few cities they visited with several individuals loitering.
“It felt like a summer holiday instead of a community quarantine,” she said.
In view of this, Padilla called on the public to inform others in their respective areas of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, actress Maine Mendoza also initiated an online fund drive she called “DoNation” seeking to benefit daily wage earners similarly affected by the Luzon-wide quarantine due to work and mass transport suspension.
Mendoza said that she will donate P1,000 each to households for their groceries and basic essentials “to help as many employees as possible.”
She added that these include public utility drivers of tricycles, jeepneys and buses, construction workers, street and market vendors, laundrywomen and those who can only afford to survive on a day-to-day basis.
Hi everyone! I hope you are in a safe place as you read this post.As we all know, we are facing one of the biggest…
Posted by Maine Mendoza on Wednesday, March 18, 2020
“I know how hard it is for these people nowadays to sustain their living so I decided to share as much as I can to them,” she wrote in Facebook.
“I will personally facilitate all the donations and I will TRY my best to accommodate as many people as I can. I will also provide proof of transactions to the donors for transparency purposes if they wish. Again, your share, no matter how big or small, will surely go a long way. Let’s DO this!” Mendoza added.
Mendoza warned the public against fraudsters who are taking advantage of her donation drive to collect money.
Work suspension
Luzon was placed under an enhanced community quarantine in a bid to restrict movements and contain the spread of the deadly pathogen.
Under this directive, Filipinos are strictly advised to stay at home and to only go out if they needed to buy basic necessities like food and medicine.
Employers are urged to arrange flexible and remote working arrangements for their employees so that they wouldn’t have to travel and go out in the public.
Among those badly hit by the quarantine are members of the informal sector who only rely on day-to-day earnings.
Earlier this week, Vice President Leni Robredo urged the local government units to provide assistance to such workers.
Based on a report from Philstar.com, nearly 35 percent of Filipinos are employed in the informal sector as of January 2020.
