MANILA (UCAN): Community pantries are springing up across the Philippines after Catholic bishops this week called on people to support the effort in Manila to help the poor during the Covid-19 coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic.
The call came after Ana Patricia Non set up the Maginhawa (relief) pantry in Quezon City in mid-April. She was compelled to suspend operations due to fears for her safety after the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict red-tagged her initiative as communist propaganda in a Facebook post on April 19. Uniformed police officers also visited the pantry several times to collect personal information about its organisers.
Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, of Kalookan condemned the comments on April 20, saying community pantry organisers should be supported rather than intimidated. He also urged government officials to spare those helping the needy from dirty politics such as red-tagging.
“Aren’t you thankful people are voluntarily helping each other?” he asked in response to the police accusation on April 21.
The Inquirer reported presidential spokesperson, Harry Roque, as saying “I think the president (Rodrigo Duterte) has spoken through my office, the DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government) has spoken and unless their concern is about health protocols not being observed, they should let these community pantries alone,” when about the matter.
‘We are happy to know that in recent days … neighbourhoods and communities (across the country) have organised themselves to help needy families, especially with food and other basic necessities’
Archbishop Romullo Valles
“Let’s just say the president welcomes all initiatives that will help our countrymen while we’re in a pandemic,” Roque said.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines has praised the efforts, saying they were built on generosity and care for the hungry.
“We are happy to know that in recent days … neighbourhoods and communities (across the country) have organised themselves to help needy families, especially with food and other basic necessities,” Archbishop Romullo Valles, president of the bishops’ conference, said on April 21. He said it was proof Filipinos care for each other.
Several pantries for indigenous people have been set up in Baguio City, , while Catholics in La Union and Nueva Vizcaya provinces have included facemasks and face shields in pantries set up for medical workers fighting Covid-19.
On Boracay island in Aklan province, parishioners have donated canned goods for street cleaners and garbage collectors.
A group of Muslim doctors in Mindanao opened halal community pantries for the poor in Zamboanga province.
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“We are collecting fruit, vegetables and all types of non-perishable halal food items for our community pantry targeting underprivileged families,” they said.
“Everyone is free to donate as much as he can, but no one should get more than what he needs,” Dr. Abdul Javar Esturco told the MindaNews daily.
In Maguindanao province, parishioners called their community pantry an “honesty bench” where anyone can get food packs made from local produce.
“We do not discriminate. Muslims or Christians can get food packs from our honesty bench as long as they do not deprive others who want to eat as well. They should get only their food for the day,” Maricris Polilo a resident, said.
“Our sense of nationalism and love for our fellow Filipinos are manifested in many ways. We went to the streets to fight a corrupt government. We share what we have to fight a pandemic,” she said.
The apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Manial, Bishop Broderick Pabillo, urged more clergy and Catholic families to join the project.
“I encourage priests, parishes and basic ecclesial communities to join this movement of lifting our fellow brothers and sisters who have nothing to eat. Love and generosity are the greatest antidotes to this pandemic,” Bishop Pabillo said in a radio interview.
“We commend the initiative of the community pantry because it shows cooperation.”
