Group of teachers feed homeless, less privileged

The teachers prepare to provide free meals to the homeless and less privileged in Cebu and Mandaue cities. | Contributed photos

CEBU CITY, Philippines – A group of friends, majority of them working as teachers, have been risking their lives in these coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) times by going around Cebu City feeding the homeless and the less privileged. 

This is their tribute to a friend and fellow teacher, Marc Ladaran, who lost his life in a tragic motorcycle accident last month. Ladaran was on his way home to Cebu City from a meeting in Dumaguete City for the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (CVIRAA) Meet when he met the tragic accident that took his life. He was a teacher at the Abellana National School (ANS) and was tasked as the coordinator for the CVIRAA dancesports competition.

This is also their contribution in the fight against COVID-19.

According to Randyl June W. Villarosa, who teaches at Don Carlos A. Gothong Elementary School, their group whom they call “Eyeyey” didn’t actually plan on handing out cooked food in these times. 

A group of teachers feeding the homeless and less privileged in Cebu and Mandaue cities are doing this as a tribute to a fallen colleague. | Contributed photo

At first they were just giving halo-halo to the frontliners then it evolved to pospas, champorado and meals for the homeless.

It all started when one of their friends, Jonas Karl Borbon, a Special Education (SpEd) teacher in the Cebu City Central Elementary Sped Center, got worried about their stocks of food.

Borbon’s concern came a his halo-halo store, that he owns, has to be closed because of the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

“Na guol sila kay madaot ra daw. Mao to nakadecide sila na ipanghatag sa mga frontliners. Sa frontliners jud to nagstart. Until ni abot mi sa kanang magluto ug pospas, champorado, and food jud para sa mga homeless na nagstay sa San Roque gym,” said Villarosa.

(They got worried because the stocks  will just get spoiled. So, they decided to just cook them and give it to the frontliners. It really started with the frontliners, then we also started cooking pospas, champorado and meals for the homeless staying at the San Roque gym.)

The group also decided to continue doing it as a tribute to Ladaran.

Read more: Cebu City teacher dies in road crash in Dalaguete 

Teachers distributed free pospas and champorado to the homeless and less privileged in the Cebu and Mandaue cities. | Contributed photo

“Group of friends mi ana nila. Kami na group ana jud nila ni sir Marc Ladaran. Kay if buhi pa to si sir Marc, for sure mo go sad to siya ani na idea kay kusog man sad kaayo to siya motabang sa mga nagneed. Mao ni amo way na mohonor mi niya,” explained Villarosa.

(We are a group of friends and sir Marc Ladaran was also part of our group. If he was still alive, he would have approved of this idea because he was also always helping out those in need. This is our way of honoring him.)  

Read more: Family, kin spend teacher’s birthday in mourning

Other members of the group are Rex Kyamko, who teaches at the Lahug Elementary School; Walter Betito and Kareem Datig, Ladaran’s colleagues at the ANS; Reginald Consuelo, the assistant administrator of the Registrar Office at the Cebu Technological University (CTU) Main; Joey Mangubat, ANS dance troupe trainor; Jan Gabucan, ANS volleyball conditioning coach and Cristoff Lisondra, an SHS Alumnus of Benedicto College who also works as a call center agent.

They also got to partner with the Ako Bisaya Partylist for the feeding project as one of their friends, James Solomon Gallarde, is a senior consultant of the partylist.

Giving free meals to the homeless and less privileged is the teachers way to help in this coronavirus disease 2019 times. | Contributed photo

Since starting out by giving food to the frontliners in Bulacao, Mandaue, Pardo, Sambag 1 and 2, Pasil, Subangdako, Abellana and Cabantan, the group has since given food to the repacking teams of Barrio Luz and the team working at the Cebu Coliseum.

They have also gone around and distributed food to those residing at the back of the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC), at the back of Bai Hotel, those housed temporarily at the San Roque gym, Logarta Covered Court, Alumnos and Taboan gyms.

Aside from Sol’s halo-halo, pospas and champorado, they also give out bam-i and humba with Shanghai courtesy of G’s Love Foundation.

Villarosa said they cook the food themselves. And, this, they will continue to do until their funds last.

“Priority jud namo karon ang mga homeless. Kanang gipastay sa gym,” added Villarosa. 

(Our priority are really the homeless. Those who are made to stay in the gyms.)

They also keep themselves safe while distributing the food by wearing personal protective equipment and implementing the social distancing among the beneficiaries./dbs