Community Responses and Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic 35 Figure 7 ASAMBA officers organizing the food rations during the first wave of their own relief distribution Photo by ASAMBA This positive attitude lives on even in responding to residents with COVID-19 who were advised to self-quarantine. Driven by compassion instead of fear, ASAMBA was also the first to provide food rations to these affected people on hard lockdown. The gatekeepers accompanied the barangay health workers in monitoring the health condition of these affected residents. Demands from the government ASAMBA is confident that while their organization can successfully undertake alternative social measures among their members to help prevent the spread of a highly infectious disease, they also need to remind the government of its responsibility in providing social services, especially universal health care. ASAMBA joins the call for free mass testing in Quezon City, citing that other cities have implemented this program. This demand was pushed by the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the city and the increasing susceptibility of the urban poor sector to this virus with no access to adequate health care. ASAMBA also asked the government to revive the schedule of vaccinations to newborns, which was suspended during the quarantine period.