GABBI GARCIA feels relieved now that her boyfriend Khalil Ramos has fully survived his bout with the Covid virus.
This has stopped the taping of the new romance series they’re doing, “Love You, Stranger”, which is their first teleserye together. Khalil says he tested positive in their swab testing so he had to quarantine himself.
“I had some symptoms but very mild naman,” he says. “May konting hingal at saka nangati ‘yung throat ko nang kaunti, also headaches.
"Pero hindi naman ako nilagnat at hindi rin ako inubo. In other words, hindi siya grabe. I’m just thankful na hindi nahawa sa akin ang sinuman sa family ko.”
It’s good Gabbi herself didn’t contract the virus?
“I had to undergo quarantine also,” she says. “But thankfully, yung swab test ko, negative naman. Ang family ko rin, nagpa-test at negative kaming lahat.”
They didn’t see each other for a while, but when Gabbi put up her own community pantry in their village in Paranaque, Khalil was there to help her.
She says she was inspired by our kababayans who put up their own community pantries to help the needy.
“I told my parents I want to do it also, I want to help,” she says.
“I started by buying all the vegetables na tinitinda ng nagdadala ng gulay sa amin then ipinamigay ko. Pati yung nagtitinda ng ice cream, binili ko rin and gave it away.”
The next day, she decided to put up her own tent. “Yun ang nakakatuwa kasi ang dami agad nagbigay ng donations,” she beams.
“Overflowing yung binibigay na goodies for our pantry. Andaming generous people na nagbibigay ng canned goods, rice, noodles.”
She was able to extend help to the security guards in their village, the couriers who deliver goods and poor residents who enter their village. She showed the photos of her stall in her social media account, saying:
“Posting this with nothing but pure and good intentions to inspire everyone that despite our current situation, we can all help each other in our own little way.
"Thank you to everyone who stopped by to drop their donations. May God bless you more. To all community pantries, salamat sa inyo!”
Of course, no matter what one does, bashers will always be around and Gabbi is chided for allegedly being only “gaya-gaya” to poor people who started the community pantry movement.
A basher even added: “Haysss. Kung hindi pa gagawin to ng mga walang kaya at salat sa buhay, hindi rin gagawin ng mga mayayaman!”
Gabbi then replied.
“If you want to help then okay, thank you. But if you don’t want to help, tapos may masasabi ka pa, please, let’s not spread negativity na lang. Let’s just help each other go through this pandemic.”
