Religious group opens free store to help public cope with economic crisis

Tabuk City, Kalinga –Members Church of God International(MCGI) opens a Free Store for the public, members and non-members of their sector to help the people cope with the economic crisis brought about by the pandemic.

Anthony Allan Camaddu of the MCGI said that it has been a practice in their church to have a Free Store to help members in dire need. However, this February, their leaders decided to extend the store’s services to non-members of the church.

On March 14, a store with assorted grocery items was launched in Tabuk in Barangay Bado Dangwa.

The goods being given out, he said, are from the contributions of MCGI members. Once they have collected enough items, they open the store. This he said is the reason why they have to schedule when the store is available to serve.

Since it is free, he explained that the store hopes to serve thosewho cannot afford to buy groceries, saying “yung mga indigent, mga single parent, ‘yung talagang nangangailangan [ang mga recepients] kasi po sa atin pong panahon ngayon dahil ganito po ‘yung sitwasyon po natin pandemic, marami pong kababayan po natin na nangangailangan.”

The beneficiaries, Camaddu added, can take any items up to a maximum amount of P500. He said that they are using a point system where 1 point is equivalent to 1 peso. Apart from this, there is also a free meal given to people coming to their store.

“Ang sistema po kasi niyan, every goods meron pong points kumbaga ‘yung presyo niya points ‘yon. Halimbawa po ang sardinas po ay bente sa tindahan, lalagyan po namin ‘yon ng 20 points. So ang binibigay po naming points sa recepient is 500 points,” he explained.

Meanwhile, just this April 7 and 8, Camaddu said that at least 82 individuals benefitted from their Free Store, where 17 are MCGI members and 65 are non-members. The Free Store, he said, will probably open again next month.

Said community service activity, Camaddu said, was inspired by a passage in the Bible. “Yung nasa Biblia na magsigawa tayo ng mabuti sa lahat lalong lalo na sa kapatid sa pananampalataya, Galacia sais diez at saka ‘yung nasa tres bente siyete ng Kawikaan na ang nakalagay po doon, ‘wag mong ipagkait ‘yung paggawa ng mabuti sa iyong kamay kung nasa iyong kapangyarihan.”

“Meron tayong chance na gumawa ng mabuti, eh gagawa na po tayo samantalahin na po natin lalong lalo na ngayong panahon po nating ito, ito po talaga ‘yung magandang panahon para gumawa ng mabuti,” he underscored.

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