A PRIVATE group has been providing the needs of garbage collectors in Baguio City.
Kristyn Warren and a group of friends formed the Baguio Basurero Movement (BBM) which aims to provide needs of city garbage collectors especially in the time of a worldwide pandemic.
"Every time I see our garbage collectors quietly going about their thankless jobs not wearing any protective gloves and clothing, I feel so bad for them. Then came this pandemic. We have been more and more conscious about keeping ourselves clean and protected. We dispose used gloves and masks in the garbage which will eventually be picked up by our garbage men. The nature of their work exposes them to several health hazards including Covid-19. When I realized that, my heart sank. This truly pushed me to do something for them," Warren said.
Warren created the BBM page on social media which gathered locals to pitch in and help the cause to protect the group of collectors to protect themselves.
So far, the group gathered close to P50,000 to purchase protective gear and allocate care pack for the group of regular, semi-regular and volunteer collectors for the city.
Donations in kind are composed of surgical, woven and washable masks, puncture-resistant gloves, rice, instant noodles and face shields have been collected and distributed.
Warren said majority of the workers collecting trash are just volunteers who do not get monthly salaries and only earn from the junk they sell.
"There, we learned that they have a lot of donated food items for the garbage men in their office. Yet, do not have first aid kits in their trucks. A lot of our garbage collectors only use water to wash their wounds," Warren said.
Volunteers before numbered 100 but now has dwindled to 45.
"They (volunteers) rely on the scraps they collect from the garbage and then sell to junk shops for income, but the problem is, junk shops are closed due to the ECQ," Warren explained.
Warren said people can help by donating in cash or in kind or simply practicing proper waste disposal.
"With no end in sight for Covid, I think that this movement should continue as long as our silent heroes are exposed to this deadly virus. They truly are our backliners, keeping the city clean and free from diseases, let us help keep our silent heroes safe from covid19 while they take care of our city," Warren added.
