MANILA, Philippines—Many poor Filipino families could have thought that they already hit bottom in poverty prior to the COVID pandemic. As in many things that are at the bottom, there would have been no way to go but up.
But the bottom kept sinking further for millions of Filipinos, especially when the pandemic struck.
Last May, a youth group in Isabela province distributed relief goods to poor families who lost sources of livelihood during COVID lockdowns.
Remedios Ortiz, 45, was one of hundreds who fell in line for hours to get help.
A mother of six, Remedios and her husband struggled to make ends meet prior to the pandemic. When the pandemic struck, what the couple t…
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