Santa Rita Magusara is a 34-year old mother. She has four children, and lives in an urban poor community in Barangay North Baluarte, Iloilo City.

Santa Rita has to work multiple jobs in order to sustain her family especially now that her children are in school. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Santa Rita works as a financial planner and is also into buy-and-sell of clothes and cosmetics. She used to earn an average of PhP500-600 pesos per day.

“Prior to the pandemic, I can say that our life is relatively okay. I had sources of income,” Santa Rita said.

However, due to the pandemic, Santa Rita’s customers began to decline, forcing her family to rely primarily on external help. Worse, there was a time when Barangay North Baluarte was put under “surgical lockdown” due to the rising COVID-19 cases. Residents were not allowed to leave the Barangay for whatever reason, including going to work. “I can say that I lost almost 70-75 percent of my income. I stopped working since I have no customers left. Due to the pandemic, they also have no income,” Santa Rita said.

Santa Rita is one of the 400 beneficiaries of PCDR’s Relief Assistance for Families Severely Affected by COVID-19 in Iloilo City. Through the support of Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe (DKH), a German humanitarian organization, she received a food pack and a hygiene kit.

“I am very grateful to those who gave us this relief assistance, because it is really a big help for us. I am grateful that I am one of the beneficiaries,” Santa Rita added.

Santa Rita calls on the government and those from the private sector to help them, especially those whose sources of income were severely affected by the pandemic.