MACAU (UCAN): Macau’s Filipino migrant’s in have lent a helping hand in feeding hundreds of impoverished people hit hard by the recent upsurge in Covid-19 infections and consequent strict restrictions.
The Waraynon Association, a lay Catholic association of Filipino migrants founded last year, offered food kits to about 500 non-resident workers in the city, the Portuguese-language Catholic weekly Jornal O-Clarim reported.
The association drew funds from members of the Catholic Church and local benefactors and managed to help those in dire need of help.
“This collaboration was only possible thanks to the support of several generous donors. Without them, this sharing would not have been possible,” Janette Waray, the leader of the association, told Jornal O-Clarim.
“This month is the most critical period for many workers, as many have only just returned to work after having been without a salary for more than a month,” she added.
The association also distributed financial aid from the funds collected from its benefactors.
“All the help we can offer, we offer. We distribute food baskets and some basic necessities, but also small amounts of money to our members who have been without work and without receiving aid all this time,” Janette said.
The Waraynon Association was formed on 4 April 2021, to bring together Filipino migrant Catholics, who make up about 4.6 per cent of Macau’s estimated 700,000 residents.
All the help we can offer, we offer. We distribute food baskets and some basic necessities, but also small amounts of money to our members who have been without work and without receiving aid all this time
Janette Waray
The name is derived from the Waray, a subgroup of the Bisaya people who form the largest ethnolinguistic group in the Philippines.
Before delving into food and financial assistance for the impoverished, the group also helped many with the repatriation process as they sought to return home when the authorities put Macau under strict pandemic restrictions.
Apart from the Waraynon Association, Caritas Macau has been also been at the forefront in supporting needy people in Macau.
Earlier in May, the Social Affairs Bureau of Macau selected Caritas to execute the programme that aims to help about 1,500 individuals who were laid off on the island for several reasons including the Covid-19 pandemic.
The city was relatively unscathed by earlier bouts of the pandemic. However, it was hit hard in June this year, forcing strict lockdowns and mass testing across the island. The restrictions were eased on August 2.
Macau, is known as one of the wealthiest cities in Asia for its thriving gaming and gambling industry. But, due to the impact of the pandemic, it has seen a sharp rise in unemployment.
Since March, the unemployment rate in Macau increased to 3.5 per cent from 3.3 per cent in February, according to Trading Economics.
