While 37 families of the 70 families living in San Luis had already relocated to the newly established mountain village, they were hoping to survive despite being cut off from the ocean resources, their previous home. However, limited employment under the enforced Covid-19 quarantine made it very rough despite government food rations.
When it was announced that a Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) would be implemented from Aug. 4 to 18 due to increasing Covid-19 infection rates, the AETAs were faced with no public transportation and no construction jobs for the Aeta men to support their families during that time period. After discussions with the AETA chief and secretary, RIMM immediately took action and wired P15,000 for the purchase of rice since it is the staple food for survival and is being supplemented with other crops the AETAs gather in the mountains.
