Marinel Selvano of the Dumagat-Remontados tribe had high hopes for her children. She wanted them to grow up safe, happy, and healthy. (www.hanakaimaui.com)

Sadly, all her dreams came crashing down when the pandemic hit the country.

Like most katutubos in General Nakar, Quezon, Marinel makes a living by planting crops of vegetables in her garden. She grows ginger in their backyard to sell.

Marinel lives up on the remote highlands of Sierra Madre and hikes for hours to reach their town proper so she could sell her harvest.

Due to movement restrictions, Marinel could not go to the town and sell their crops. The mother worried about how she could feed her children in the coming days.

“We are stuck in one place and we do not know what’s happening out there aside from what we see on TV and hear on the radio. We are scared and struggling to feed our children,” she shared.

And then came hope!

Operation Blessing Foundation Philippines, CBN Asia’s humanitarian arm, visited their community in Barangay Lumutan in General Nakar, Quezon bringing with them life-saving food for the people of Marinel’s tribe.

Together with the Philippine Army and DLL-SAGAD Off-Roaders group, Operation Blessing crossed 14 rivers and hiked the steep mountains of Sierra Madre.

But the long and difficult trek was worth it – Marinel’s children and 200 katutubo families will now have food on their table in the coming days!

More than the material relief, the beneficiaries received words of encouragement and prayers from the team, giving them hope and strengthening their hearts.

“We already ran out of rice that’s why I am so happy that we received your food bags. It also warms my heart that there are people like you who would travel far and wide just to reach and help us,” Marinel said.

The pandemic has pushed many families, especially our indigenous kababayans, to the edge of starvation.

Thankfully, your giving can transform communities and serve as their strength during these trying times!

You too can deliver life-saving food to tribal communities and families in need, even from the comforts of your own home, by partnering with Operation Blessing.

Donate online, via GCash (Operation Blessing), or through these bank accounts with account name: Operation Blessing Foundation Phils., Inc.:

Banco De Oro (BDO)

Peso Account: 003-000-055-279

Dollar Account: 103-000-11-3333

Swift Code: BNORPHMM

Union Bank of the Philippines

Peso Account: 00-216-072163-9

Dollar Account: 13-216-000170-0

Swift Code: UBPHPHMM

Metrobank

Peso Account: 270-3-27050273-4

Dollar Account: 270-2-27000282-4

Swift Code: MBTCPHMM

Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI)

Peso Account: 3001-0040-33

For more information on how you can give, send a message to Operation Blessing’s Facebook page or contact 0939-921-5543 and 0918-906-7753.

You can also support CBN Asia’s entire Family of Ministries through this link.