48K, Not 12K, Recipients of the Sako-Food-Bag in Calasiao

BASED ON A NUCLEAR FAMILY

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

CALASIAO, Pangasinan – It’s not 12,000 individuals but 48, 000 persons based on a nuclear family who benefited on the sako (woven fabric) food bags given recently here by the administration of Mayor Patrick A. Caramat.

An average nuclear family in the Philippines is composed of 4.1 household members that is composed of a father, mother, and their two children.

In the May 4 video interview with Mayor Caramat during the town fiesta dubbed as the Feast of Divino Tesoro, being celebrated here from May 1 to 7, he said that the poor families were the primary recipients of the bag filled up with rice, vegetables, fruits, pork or chicken meat, eggs, milkfish, smoked fish, the one-town-one-product puto (steamed rice cake) and other native delicacies, and condiments for the marginalized residents of this first class town.

The video interview gained almost 40,000 views in the political vlog/blog’s 101 Talk Radio.

“We have prepared at least 10,000 – 12,000 families. Sabi ko po unahin po natin iyong mga persons with special needs, mga construction workers, mga solo parents, mga farmers po natin, and the different sectors po. Lahat po naman tayo ay apektado ng krisis pero iyong mga people in need po talaga,” Caramat stressed.

The young mayor said that instead of the local government unit (LGU) and the other sponsors bankrolling the merry making for the fiesta, Vice Mayor Kevin Macanlalay, the municipal lawmakers, village chiefs, officials and staff of the LGU, and other stakeholders opted to distribute foods to their constituents at the public plaza here who were afflicted by the tremendous oil spike because of the strife in the Middle East.

MULTI-PRONGED

Caramat said the endeavor was multi-pronged as it benefits the “sako making industry” based in Barangay Mancup here and buttressed the Anti-Plastic Ordinance being observed by the population.

He said glutinous rice cake making villages benefited too because their products were bought by the LGU to be given to the beneficiaries.

“Those are different products from Talibaew, ating mga puto from Barangay Dinalaoan and (inaudible) may mga latik po tayo from San Vicente. Iyong ibang barangay for example Cabilocaan hindi po natin sila nakuhaan ng pakwan”.

Vegetables, fruits, meat, and other vendors and the transport organizations benefited too with the endeavor as the Caramat Administration sourced the goods and services from them

His administration, upon consultation, targeted thirty-three (33) percent of the families here as recipients of the food bag.

“About one-third na pamilya po dito sa bayan ng Calasiao”.

This 24 villages’ town located in central Pangasinan has a population of 100,686 (2024 Census).

The first term Mayor asked for understanding to the residents here who did not receive the sako-food-bag.

“I would like to reiterate, humihingi po ako ng pasensya sa mga hindi nakakuha ng sako-bag”.