COMMUNITY PANTRY

ROSELA F.FAINA

I-BSED FILIPINO B

LESLIE NARVAEZ-MACUJA

LECTURER

CLARENDON COLLEGE

MAY 3,2021
 COMMUNITY PANTRY

"We are stopping hunger one meal, one family at a time by providing nutritious food to those in need
with compassion and love - because it's more than just food; it's about how you make people
feel!"What you need to know?To help those struggling financially during the pandemic, hundreds of
community pantries have been set up across the Philippines, and more are sprouting up.On April 14,
Ana Patricia Non put out a small bamboo cart along Maginhawa Street in Quezon City filled with canned
goods, fresh vegetables, vitamins, facemasks, and other necessities amid the pandemic. At the top of
the cart was a handwritten sign on cardboard, “Maginhawa Community Pantry. Take what you need.
Give what you can.”In the week that followed, the initiative exploded. From around 10 visitors a day, the
pantry now has dozens of volunteers from local tricycle drivers and street vendors working with Non to
serve an estimated 2,000 families each day. Each passing day, community pantries have been popping
up across Metro Manila, eventually reaching as far as Iligan City in the far southern region of
Mindanao.Activists, church workers, and all manner of good Samaritans across civil society have been
pooling their efforts together in a stunning display of mutual aid. Non shares that donations have been
pouring in from a multitude of backgrounds, from nearby restaurant owners to those from low-income
backgrounds and even well-off anonymous supporters. The same can be said for the 350 pantries
following in Non’s footsteps.The movement has struck a chord in the Philippines, whose people have
been struggling during the pandemic. Little to no financial assistance and aid has been afforded to the
country’s poorest. It’s no wonder why the queues for the pantries are long enough to encircle entire
street blocks. There are glaring inefficiencies in the pandemic response, and it is the same reason why
community pantries have become so popular: people are hungry.“Efforts like these give us hope that we
can come together and help each other out. I felt that the state response was not enough. They’re doing
something but it isn’t enough. People wouldn’t be lining up at the pantries if the help was sufficient,”
says Non.She illustrates, “This initiative does not discriminate against gender, class, affiliation, religion,
or anything else. It’s just based on our capacity to help. There is freedom in that.”The pantries recently
made headlines for their efforts to provide food and other forms of assistance to people badly affected
by lockdowns enforced due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Año, community pantry organizers
should likewise ensure the safety of their beneficiaries by implementing health protocols such as social
distancing and wearing of face masks. Año said community pantries could trigger a spike in COVID-19
cases if health protocols would not be followed.He warned that community pantries that would not
follow minimum public health standards could face closure.Año also stressed that, while no permit was
required to set u a community pantry, organizers should still coordinate with local government units
(LGUs).I so much appreciated the acts of golden hearted organizers to set up and to help others in the
midst of pandemic through providing their needs in a way of community pantry.From the TV Patrol
News that I've watched already,ABS-CBN Statement on Angel Locsin ABS-CBN believes in the goodness
of the heart of our Kapamilya Angel Locsin,who in her personal capacity has tirelessly helped our
countrymen in times of crisis.We admire her commitment to continue serving the Filipino people with
selfless dedication and love we stand by her for being a shining example generosity, accountability and
compassion.The actress said on Thursday she was setting up a community pantry on her birthday in
order to address the needs of those within her area who have been strongly affected by the COVID-19
pandemic and its impact on their livelihood.Under the city guidelines, community pantry organizers are
expected to:Wear face masks and face shields,require patrons to wear, at least, face masks before they
can get commodities,enforce a one-meter distance among patrons in line,prohibit eating and drinking in
the pantry's vicinity,prohibit patrons From unnecessarily touching or handling items on display,maintain
cleanliness in the pantry's vicinity,be responsible for food safety (food must be fresh),adopt a system to
"mitigate abuse following reports about certain persons exploiting the community pantry and taking
more than their fair share." This can include imposing limits per person or household."The City
wholeheartedly supports such endeavors, as they promote the spirit of civic-mindedness or ban
responsible for it.