The Rise of Community Pantries in the Philippines

This topic is quite sensitive and this gives me so much emotions but I'd rather talk about this topic than my health these days. Community pantries is something I would like to consider as something positive. The Philippines has the longest lockdowns and a massive number of people are unemployed and struggling because of this Coronavirus pandemic. After a year of lockdown, the country and even its capital Metro Manila is economically down. Crimes are on the rise because people are starving. Poverty has always been an issue in this country and it has never been addressed with any form of stimulus or anything at all.

A young girl in Quezon City started a mini community pantry telling people to get what they need and leave a little something that they can share for others to take. The items were mostly food stuff and toiletries, something basic that people and families need. This action rippled and community pantries have been made by many individuals all over the country. This of course earned mixed reactions but mostly positive ones because people benefit from it. The wealthy can donate and feel good about it and the poor ones come to get their needs for their day to day meals.

Here in our city, we have a number of community pantries. I got the chance to take a picture of one run by the nuns of the hospital that I go to for dialysis. I am glad I am able to put something in their donation box and I see a line of people who come to visit daily and benefit from this community pantry. This is humanity working. This is how we are supposed to be, one helping the other and vice versa.

I hope this idea of cooperation goes a long way and stay but on the other hand, I am dreaming of a world where everyone should be able to afford their needs in the future and there should be no need for such activities to provide for the less fortunate. It would be a lot better when we all are blessed to have jobs and our basic needs met without having to have such movement for us to be provided with the littlest things we need.