MANILA – The emergence of community pantries shows that the bayanihan spirit is alive amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
The initiative, which started outside a former food park along Maginhawa Street in Quezon City, was replicated in other areas to help Filipinos struggling to cope with the effects of the health crisis.
Inspired by the movement, community pantries have sprouted in Manila, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Pasig, and Valenzuela and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, and Laguna.
“This exemplifies the Filipino bayanihan spirit during this challenging time of COVID-19,” Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said on Saturday. “As we have said on numerous occasions, we cannot defeat the COVID-19 pandemic alone. We need the support and cooperation of everyone.”
In a community pantry, the poor were encouraged to take only the food they needed from the pantries, while those who could donate were enjoined to give what they could.
However, Roque reminded that minimum public health standards should be observed all the time.
“The medium and long-term solution remains safeguarding the physical safety of our people while ensuring the economic health of the nation. Ingat buhay para sa hanapbuhay,” he said.
The community pantries emerged a week after the enhanced community quarantine was placed in the National Capital Region Plus./PN
