Among the silver linings in today’s crisis is the rise of genuinely concerned Filipinos who, in their own ways, big or small, have managed to lend a hand to those drowning in the situation.
The implementation of enhanced community quarantine has left many daily wage earners and informal workers unemployed, some reduced to begging in the streets because, sadly, they had no other choice.
With the knowledge that cards are stacked against many, Joey Gamos, founder and owner of the brand Tara Baraha!, wanted badly to help.
Tara Baraha! is a small local business selling playing cards that showcase the beauty of the Philippines. The deck comes with 52 info cards that take players on a visual journey around the Philippines, and three joker cards that serve as bucket lists to top destinations around the country.
Gamos mobilized her network and made use of her business’ Facebook and Instagram pages to start a donation drive, “Tara Tulong Tayo!” for daily wage earners and their families.
“It started as a personal concern about our daily wage worker kababayans and their families,” begins Gamos.
“In the news that preceded the start of ECQ, I saw the struggle of so many of our workers who had to endure so much just to get to their place of work as public transportation was put to a halt—a foreshadowing of the hardships that they will go through for the rest of the quarantine period. They expressed their worries and concerns on how they’ll be able to feed their families,” she shares.
Restless and concerned, Gamos spoke to a couple of friends about her worries and her desire to do something to help from home. She started by creating a compelling poster through online design platform Canva for the visual materials of her initiative.
She then launched the fundraising drive on March 16, first day of the ECQ, which aimed to give P1,000 cash assistance to affected daily wage workers.
Gamos’ friends and family eventually joined in, helping with the day-to-day operations. For the past three months, the whole Tara Tulong Tayo! initiative has become a collective effort by generous individuals, small local businesses, and communities as some even mounted their own donation drives/online sales and chose Tara Tulong Tayo as their beneficiary.
As of June 14, and day 89 of the initiative, Gamos and her team have been able to raise P1,741,353 and have sent out cash assistance to 1,741 daily wage workers. The initiative’s beneficiaries include workers whose livelihoods have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic: food establishment crew, PUV drivers, maintenance personnel, vendors, construction workers, and salon staff, among others.
“Through the generosity of so many kind souls, we have been able to send help to those who need it the most, especially in these tough times. It was great to have been able to create a platform that enabled many of us to be able to help from home. May the kindest and best in us emerge as we continue to fight this global pandemic,” enthuses Gamos.