Group brings aid to Filipino workers of Covid-closed Canada meat plant
A member of the Philippine Business Society of Alberta delivers much-needed groceries to kababayan shut in by the coronavirus pandemic. CONTRIBUTED
HIGH RIVER, Alberta – A Filipino business group in this Canadian province made a special delivery of basic necessities to a hundred or so compatriots in High River and Okotoks affected and isolated by the closure of a meat plant due to Covid-19.
About 12 members of the Philippine Business Society of Alberta (PBSA) drove from Edmonton to southern Alberta to deliver groceries amounting $10,000 to Filipinos affected by COVID-19.
“It’s small. But it’s better than nothing. The chances of them having their own family to help them out and support them who may not be sick, it’s probably pretty slim,” Peter Codizal of PBSA told CTV News.
Codizal said about 100 Filipinos living in the two communities were able to receive groceries on their front doorstep Sunday.
Members of the Philippine Business Society of Alberta drove from Edmonton to bring $10,000 worth of groceries to shut-in Filipino workers of a temporarily closed Cargill meat plant in High River. CONTRIBUTED
The Cargill meat processing plant, north of High River, had the largest Covid-19 outbreak in the province of Alberta, with nearly 1,000 employees contracting the virus. Many of the workers are from Filipino.
As of Sunday, the province’s website showed 287 active cases in High River with 247 recoveries.
High River resident Ofelia Tumaneng and her husband have recovered from Covid-19 but are still self-isolating at home because their daughter is still showing symptoms of the virus. The Tumanengs have not left their house for four weeks and the groceries came at the right time.
“It will help us a lot because as of now, Alberta Health Services did not allow my daughter yet to go out,” Tumaneng told CTV News.
“It’s really rewarding, being able to do this,” said Codizal of PBSA.
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