Bulacan residents affected by Navotas landfill fire receive aid from GMA Kapuso Foundation

Residents in Obando, Bulacan who are affected by the fire at the Navotas Sanitary Landfill received aid from GMA Kapuso Foundation. 

According to "24 Oras" Monday, the landfill has been burning since April 10, and efforts to put out the fire are still ongoing. 

PAGASA meteorologist Benison Estareja said that the recent haze in Metro Manila and nearby cities was mainly caused by the landfill fire. 

Many residents in Obando have been affected by it, especially those living in the coastal barangay of Salambao, which is just over a kilometer away from the landfill. 

The fire has also made it difficult for the fisherfolk community to make a living, as they cannot stay out at sea for long due to the air quality. 

"'Yung pangingisda po namin ay kumikita naman po kami isang libo isang araw. Ngayon po, minsan limang daan, tatlong daan na lang po," said Maria Arcelie, a fisherwoman. 

Recently, the Department of Health (DOH) set up a field hospital in Obando to closely monitor the residents' health amid the smog. 

"Marami tayog nakikuha na naninikip ang dibdibg, mga nahihirapan huminga, naguubo-ubo, nilalagnat, said Dr. Ivan Serrano, physician from the Philippine Emergency Medical Assistance Team - Luzon 

To provide aid to the residents, the GMA Kapuso Foundation donated KN95 masks and cough and cold medicines to the Rural Health Unit (RHU) of Obando. 

"Mga particles na nakukuha, napakaliliit na niya para mapunta na sa lungs. So 'yung KN95, 'yun 'yung ginagamit namin talaga," said Obando RHU physician Dr. May Ann Dela Paz-Oseda. 

The GMA Kapuso Foundation also distributed hygiene kits and vitamins to the children and elderly staying in the evacuation center, and likewise served water and porridge with egg to the residents. 

For those who wish to support GMA Kapuso Foundation's projects, donations may be made via Metrobank, Land Bank, BDO, Bank of Commerce, UnionBank, PNB, Cebuana Lhuillier, GCash, Lazada, Shopee, and Palawan Pay. Visit the GMA Kapuso Foundation website for more information. —CDC, GMA News