By: Christia Marie Ramos – Reporter / INQUIRER.netApril 18, 2021
MANILA, Philippines — Community pantries started popping up in different neighborhoods due to the desire of Filipinos to look after one another amid an “absent” government, former Vice President Jejomar Binay said.
“The message behind the rise of community pantries is simple: when government is absent, we can look after each other,” Binay said in a tweet Sunday.
“When the situation seems hopeless, we can lift each other’s spirit. Magtulungan, magtiwala sa isa’t-isa, at manalig sa Maykapal,” he added.
As the country reels from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Filipinos have extended a helping hand by making food donations to community pantries, which aims to help those in need amid challenging times.
This idea was borne out of an initiative taken by a small Quezon City business owner, who set up the “Maginhawa Community Pantry,” a bamboo cart containing donated food and other essential goods.
These street pantries made their way to other communities as Metro Manila, Rizal, Cavite, Bulacan and Laguna remain under the modified enhanced community quarantine amid the rise in COVID-19 cases in the country.
The Philippines’ COVID-19 active cases breached the 200,000-mark on Saturday after the Department of Health reported 11,101 additional infections.
The country’s COVID-19 tally now stands at 926,052, including 706,532 recoveries and 15,810 deaths.