Actions, Not Just Words: Here's How You Can Help Filipino Frontliners and Families at Risk

Over the past weeks, life, as we know it, has been turned on its head, and everyone everywhere has had to adjust. If you’re lucky, that adjustment is simply a matter of working from home and figuring out the best use of your idle time. But not everyone gets to decide between Tiger King and Terrace House. For many, adjustment is a matter of life and death.

If you’re abreast of the news—and you probably are—we need not go on. The truth is clear: In these extraordinary times, suffering is immense, especially among frontliners and marginalized Filipinos. They need as much help as they can get. And so for those of us at home, the question becomes: What can I do about it?

Speaking up on social media is certainly one thing. This pandemic is as much about our sociopolitical decisions as it is about the virus itself, and our response to it is shaped by public discourse.

But beyond words, we can also help by throwing financial support to those in need. If you find yourself in a position of privilege, it is your responsibility to use that privilege to help pull us out of this crisis. Here are worthy causes to consider, all of which you can support directly using PayMaya's safe and convenient #OneAgainstCOVID19 platform, which you can access via donate.paymaya.com (for donations using credit, debit, or prepaid card and PayMaya) or through the PayMaya app’s Pay Bills function.

Equip medical workers
There are two ways to #FlattenTheCurve. The first is staying at home to control the spread of the virus. The second is giving medical frontliners the equipment they need, so they stay healthy and capable of managing the influx of patients. UNICEF and the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation are both raising funds for disinfection supplies, personal protective equipment, and even triage tents for hospitals. The Act as One Foundation by alumni of the University of the Philippines is also raising funds for PPEs.

Provide shelter and quarantine centers
Living arrangements are complicated these days, especially for those in the informal sector. Habitat for Humanity is looking to fund housing efforts and hygiene kits for marginalized families. Meanwhile, alumnae of St. Theresa’s College Quezon City are working with the local government to convert the Korean Philippine Building at the QC Polytechnic University into a quarantine center, via Hope KKK. Hospitals are also in need of their own small quarantine centers, in the form of tents, which can be funded by a private initiative called  #UniTENTWeStandPH, led by actress, Angel Locsin.

Feed and protect frontliners
Along with medical workers are other uniformed frontliners: military enforcers and MMDA personnel, for instance. The NowhereToGoButUP Foundation and the Alagang Kapatid Foundation by TV5 are both seeking funds for food and sanitation supplies for such workers. RockEd, meanwhile, is looking to feed medical workers, as well.

Feed and protect families at risk
Non-profit organization Caritas Manila is providing marginalized families with a “LIGTAS COVID-19” sanitation kit, as well as food bags with essential staples. Humanitarian organization Oxfam is doing the same. Even McDonald’s, through the RMHC Kindness Kitchen, is working to feed those in need.

Provide transportation for frontliners
Without proper public transportation, it can be difficult for medical workers and frontliners to fulfill their duties. SeaOil is looking to generate additional funds for fuel donations to hospitals and transport groups, as a way of supporting the efficient transportation of frontliners.

 

Supporting your chosen cause and organization is easy. Whether you’re in Manila stuck in quarantine or living abroad, you can conveniently send your donations using PayMaya’s one-stop shop donation platform. All you have to do is follow these simple steps:  

1. Go to http://donate.paymaya.com.
2. Choose the specific organization or cause that you want to support.
3. Choose the donation amount or package of your choice, then click Add to Cart.
4. Review your cart or donate to other organizations as well, then click Check Out.
5. Fill in the needed information, then click Continue to Payment. Review the details you entered, then click Complete Order to be redirected to the secure payment page.
6. Enter your card or PayMaya details in the fields provided, then click Pay Now.
7. You will receive a confirmation of your donation via email or SMS, depending on the payment method.

If you’re a PayMaya user, the quickest way to donate is via the PayMaya app. Just follow these instructions:  

1. Log in to your PayMaya account.
2. Click the Pay Bills button   
3. Choose from among the organizations with the hashtag #OneAgainstCOVID19 you want to donate to.
4. In the Account Number field, enter ‘00000’.
5. In the Amount field, enter the amount you want to donate.
6. Once done, click continue. Review the information you have entered, then click Pay.   
7. You will receive an SMS in your mobile phone regarding the donation.

More foundations and initiatives have partnered with PayMaya, making it safe and convenient for you to help provide financial assistance to those in need. Check out PayMaya's #OneAgainstCOVID19 feature feature to learn more. 

Summit Media is a media partner of PayMaya for its #OneAgainstCOVID19 campaign.