ILOILO City – No names needed. No eyes watching. Just the spirit to serve or fill the day’s gap.
The first-ever community pantry on Maginhwa Street, Quezon City has become an inspiration not just for people in Metro Manila amid community lockdowns there but also for Ilonggos to grow sprouts of their own.
It’s simple. “Maghatag santo sa ikasarang, magkuha santo sa kinahanglan,” words blared by placards attached to improvised pantries.
Various groups from the city and province of Iloilo put up their own versions of the project.
COMMUNITY PANTRY PANAY
No dark clouds and intermittent rain can stop the Iloilo City-based Iloilo Pride Team in launching their own community pantry dubbed as Community Pantry Panay in Barangay Rizal, La Paz district on April 20.
According to the group, stories of barely surviving the pandemic were revealed as they got time to ask people lining before the project.
“Some get only a kilo of rice and one egg because that is all they needed. While another dropped vegetables to add to the pantry. And two senior citizens gave P10 as they also wanted to contribute, saying ‘madonar man kami para makakuha man kami bwas,’” the group shared on Facebook page Iloilo Pride Team.
The project is a collaboration between Iloilo Pride Team Gabriela Panay-Guimaras, Arts and Sciences Society of English Majors, Tulong Kabataan Western Visayas, CAS SC UP Visayas, Katilingban ng mga Aktibong Kabataan Para sa Bayan, #TalkAlley, UP Sakdag, UP Hamili Brotherhood – UP Hamilia Sisterhood, Political Science Students’ Organization Inc. of West Visayas State University, HATAG TA, Iloilo, UP Visayas – University Student Council and Adulting – Iloilo reaching 120 families of Rizal, La Paz.
“Amidst the hunger created by the longest lockdowns in the country, and the growing hunger we can only rely on each other. Sino pa mabuliligay kundi kita,” said Irish Inoceto, Iloilo Pride Team chairperson.
“Ang pag-sprout sang #communitypantries na lang sa subong ang masaligan sang mga pumuluyo kay pila lang man malab-utan sang 1k nga ayuda, delayed pa. Bandaid solution pero padayun nga magapanawagan sang 10k nga ayuda para sa mga nawad-an sang pangabuhian,” Inoceto lamented.
BULIGAY ILOILO COMMUNITY PANTRY
Meanwhile, youth duo Carmela Francesca Adelantar and Allen Dave Evidente also initiated “Buligay Iloilo Community Pantry” in Barangay Mansaya in Lapuz district. This is Iloilo City’s first community pantry launched on April 19.
For Francesca, a second year Political Science student at the University of the Philippines Visayas and also affiliated with the National Youth Volunteers Coalition and Youth Strike for Climate Philippines, helping other people during this pandemic through this initiative was fulfilling and at the same time challenging.
“Seeing that the people within the barangay also donated their spares, the goodness and camaraderie are innate within. Each initiative and help can ripple change,” Francesca said.
They chose Barangay Mansaya because last year, they were badly affected by the oil spill incident amidst the pandemic, she added.
Her friend Allen and his team extended help to the barangays last year.
“We realized that despite Iloilo’s economy reviving, there are areas that are still grappling to survive in this situation. That includes the communities in Mansaya,” Francesca lamented.
Francesca and Evidente wanted the community pantry to run for a week or two because the two of them are still studying.
Thus, they plan to pass this campaign to the Sangguniang Kabataan including the donation channels. They are hopeful that this will be sustained.
“We recognize that this initiative will not run for a long time since it is driven by the solidarity of the people and donations cannot sustain the pantry. However, by encouraging more people to help and join this movement, it may turn the impossible possible, making it sustainable,” Francesca said.
SANTA BARBARA COMMUNITY PANTRY
Moreover, in Santa Barbara, Iloilo, several youth leaders there initiated the Santa Barbara Community Pantry which they launched yesterday at Zone IV “Little Baguio” Gym.
“We’ve came up with a group joined by random Santa Barbaranhon youth leaders, who are willing to start this project. This pandemic has been very cruel to all of us, that’s why despite of the upcoming examinations this week, we really tried to make this project happen,” said Cleo Baylen, one of the youth leaders and a resident of Talanghauan, Santa Barbara.
Baylen said they will continue the project as long as there are still pledges coming in.
“We feel very glad because we are given opportunity nga i-echo kon ano ang nakita namon nga gina obra, as we all know iya ni sang Maginhawa Community sa Luzon…we feel good nga maka-help sa iban,” Baylen added.
BIRTHDAY BOY-INITIATED COMMUNITY PANTRY
Instead of celebrating his 68th birthday at home, Florencio Yap of Alta Tierra Village, decided to set up a community pantry in front of the National Food Authority in Quintin Salas, Jaro district.
Yap told Panay News that upon hearing news about community pantries sprouting in Iloilo inspired by Maginhawa’s community pantry sent a flashback of his memories during his days in Philippine Science High School in Diliman, Quezon City.
There were times wherein they will form a group to help people nearby their school who were victims of calamities using their scholarship allowance.
“Amon allowance sa scholarship, gina-share namon sa mga tawo sa palibot kay nakita namon ang sitwasyon nila,” shared Yap, a freelance business consultant.
Yap is hopeful and praying that this community pantry will be sustained.
“All of these (pantries), kon may networking kag sistema, and together with the government, magbinuligay… wala pulitika. Isa man lang ang purpose ‘ta – nga indi mag-spread ang poverty and hopelessness. We just lit a little candle in order to bring kasanag sa aton pumoluyo,” said Yap.
MORE COMMUNITY PANTRIES
More community pantries were also set up in Barangay Pandac, Pavia, Iloilo; East Baluarte in Molo district; and New Lucena, Iloilo, among others./PN
