Friends gather aid for senior citizen ice drop vendor

A group of friends gathered aid for an 80-year-old vendor in Tondo, Manila after seeing him sell ice drop amid the community quarantine.

According to Nico Waje's report on "24 Oras," Jam Costales and her friends Steph and Angel already knew Tatay Mario Santos since their college days.

He has been selling ice drop in Tayuman Street near Divisoria for 20 years now, and has continued to do so despite the threat of the coronavirus.

"Nung lumabas po ako once nakita po siya naglalako sa may Tayuman po. Ayun nakausap ko po siya ulit, nakamusta," Jam said of Tatay Mario, a widower who had also lost three of his four children.

Jam and her friends have been extending some help to the elderly man before, but their resources are limited as students.

This time, they asked for assistance from other people and set up a Facebook page to help them share Tatay's story.

They gathered P20,000 and used the funds to open a mini sari-sari store for Tatay Mario. They also bought a month's supply of maintenance medicines.

"Marami pong salamat sa tulong nila. Makakapaghanapbuhay na po ako dito sa amin," Tatay Mario said.

He has been permitted to sell in Barangay 160 in Tondo, Manila, but right now he is not yet allowed outdoors due to the MECQ.

Jam and her friends, meanwhile, continue to raise more funds on his behalf.

"Napakadami pong ways para  makatulong po tayo if gusto po talaga natin, may paraan po talaga," Jam said. —MGP, GMA News