‘Giving and taking in time of crisis:’ Community pantries sprout in NCR

The makeshift pantry in Sampaloc, Manila, as inspired by the one initiated by the Maginhawa community in Quezon City. Screenshot of the Facebook post of Toots Vergara

MANILA, Philippines — Community pantries — areas where food packs and other agricultural produce donated by ordinary people are made available for families affected by strict lockdowns — have sprouted in different areas across Metro Manila which has been the epicenter of the country’s latest COVID-19 surge.

Photos circulating on social media showed community pantries popping out in different areas, just days after the first pantry along Maginhawa Street in Quezon City went viral on social media.

As of now, there are at least three community pantries in Metro Manila: the first version on Maginhawa, one in Padre Noval Street in Manila, and another in Matiyaga Street in Quezon City.

All three have a central theme: the food packs are given from the masses, for the masses, and that people should only get what they need.

The Maginhawa community pantry saw a boost after famers from Paniqui, Tarlac donated sacks of sweet potatoes on Friday, which were received by business owner Ana Patricia Non, who started the initiative.

“Mula sa masa tungo sa masa! Grabe ito [From the masses, for the masses! This is awesome],” Non said in her Facebook post.

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Netizen Toots Vergara, meanwhile, said that many people were inspired by the Maginhawa pantry that they decided to set up one on Padre Noval.  Vergara admitted though that they were skeptical whether people would follow the scheme wherein they would get what they only need.

However, it turned out that the people only got what they need, leaving goods for other families who need it as well.

“Nag-install po kami ng lamesa na may libreng goods sa tabi ng Mang Tootz Food House sa may P Noval Sampaloc Manila,” Vergara said in a Facebook post.

(We set up a table with free goods beside the Mang Tootz Food House on P, Noval in Sampaloc, Manila.)

“Skeptical din kami na baka nga maubos agad ung laman ng pantry. Pero it turns out, kinukuha nga lang nila ang kanilang kailangan,” Vergara added.

(We were initially skeptical that people would take advantage of the contents of the pantry. But it turns out, people would only get what they need.)

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Another netizen in Elijah San Fernando also posted photos showing the community pantry in Matiyaga.

The country is still grappling with a surge of COVID-19 cases, which has left the government with no recourse but to place Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal under a modified enhanced community quarantine.

As of Friday, the number of active COVID-19 cases nationwide zoomed to 193,476 after the Department of Health (DOH) tallied 10,726 new cases.

JPV