The Pangasinan State University as a Higher Education Institution is cognizant of its significant role to fight the battle with the looming enemy– COVID 19 pandemic. To this extent, it has organized several activities under the leadership of its president Dr. Dexter R. Buted together with its academic community members.
Dr. Buted mobilized all of PSU’s nine campuses through their Executive Directors to provide food packs (lunch and snacks) to the personnel in the checkpoints, essential service workers, and medical workers who are at the forefront of combating the disease. A total of more than 3,000 food packs were distributed to those in the frontlines—the medical workers, PNP and DILG personnel, LGU skeletal staff, and Barangay officials. Besides, keeping abreast of the pandemic situation, Dr. Buted and the administration thought that the pandemic will negatively impact the employees economically, thus through the approval of the Board of Regents, allocated an amount to provide 25 kilograms of rice to employees whose salaries range from salary grade 1-15. Additionally, the salaries of the employees have been given weeks in advance to help them cope with the crisis brought by the pandemic.
Since PSU is situated in the capital town of the province, Lingayen, Dr. Buted coordinated with the LGU to identify the poorest barangays to be the recipients of food sustenance packages. With this, a group of PSUnians led by the University President went from one house to another not just to give dole-outs in the form of food sustenance package (live broiler chicken, baked products, rice, grocery items) but also as an avenue of “kumustahan” where people got to share their situation to the PSU employees.
The recipients were very grateful for the love and “malasakit” extended to them. And since, the senior citizens are one of the most vulnerable to the disease, the university thought of providing nutritious food to one selected barangay in Basista, Pangasinan. The said recipients were truly happy and grateful to PSU.
Lastly, students who were not able to reach home before lockdown or enhanced community quarantine imposed last March 16, 2020, were given goods (in three waves) in the form of grocery items and rice.
This activity was initiated by Dr. Buted and the student regent who made it through their boarding houses and delivered the food packs at their doorsteps. Dr. Buted also offered one facility in the university that could accommodate the if they cannot pay their monthly rentals due to the crisis. PSU headed by its selfless and dedicated University President is a living proof of the famous by Martha Beck, “Any deep crisis is an opportunity to make your life extraordinary in some ways.”