When kindness, helping those in need, solidarity,
can also be an act of subversion against the order
by Kat Ulrike
Amidst heckles and skepticism, that the recent initiatives from a concerned few has brought hope for many such as a food pantry.
Started in Maginhawa St. in Teacher's Village, Quezon City, the Maginhawa Community Food Pantry is more than just a bamboo cart containing a variety of food choices, but a form of solidarity coming from a concerned few in a time of sweeping pandemic when many Filipinos have less or no means to feed themselves and their families.
To some would say quite new, especially that few days after its start in Teachers Village, the community food pantry has been replicated in various villages, barangays, all as far from Cavite to Nueva Viscaya. And concerned folks such as farmers, fishermen, are willing to give a share of their crop be it sweet potato, vegetables, fish, all for the needy Metro Manilenos and others affected by the COVID19 pandemic. "Give whatever you can, take only what you need" is it's tenet, or to use Marx's: "From each according to contribution, to each according to need."
Quite interesting tho at first, especially that when folks from various walks of life has afforded to take time in donating food and taking other for free all in the spirit of communitarianism. It is a novel form of "people power" that everyone gave time, effort, and at the same time obtain their much needed good such as food and other necessities enough to satisfy their hunger "even for a day."
However, despite popular appraisal and support for the said initiative, attempts to "put out this fire of solidarity" are being raised by its critics. Mostly supporters of the Duterte administration, they find the community pantries as an attempt to "undermine government's efforts" in mitigating the pandemic-caused crisis. Comments like "the community pantry is a superspreader", of "failure to ask permission from the authorities" (even it doesn't need to), to those of outright red tagging organisers simply because of using Marx's quote (when in fact also comes from the bible) are shown in social media sites; if not calling the attention of authorities to outright regulate these pantries "in order to remain nonpartisan/apolitical" if not closing it "as a matter of peace and order." The police and the military even saw this and their knee-jerk reaction was to intimidate and red-tag the organizers of the community pantries. Ironically, from these critics are also once-supporters "at first impression" yet failed to see these pantries as an act of solidarity to the affected mass, preferring to be seen as an appeal to pity kind of charity.
On the other hand, that those who called for mass testing, subsidies for the unemployed and the needy, and adequate support for the frontliners in the medical field are the same calls of those who initiate the community pantry, hence, not surprising to see that act as "political" and not some sentiment, for the organisers themselves saw the inept, malicious, and outright deplorable governance under the Duterte administration, no matter how his supporters trying to defend and insist how their idol president as "trying to do his best" despite the fact that most of his statements are in fact, ruses.
At present, community food pantries inspired by the Maginhawa experience continues to proliferate as various individuals, groups, as expressing concern to mitigate the crisis. And to think that "they're all in this together" in making such initiatives, this communitarian effort shouldn't be treated as "out of pity", or dismissed as "charity". The pantries is a result of popular concern, a need for action in response to the inconveniences brought by the order. For the fact that the people had enough of waiting for the subsidies, those who are truly concerned are the ones who rather took the initiative to help those who are in need. Furthermore, it is not surprising that there are those who able to harass them all in the name of defending the status quo. That other than dismissing their politics, of trying to depoliticise an obvious political act, there are those who rather outright making hell against those who organise these acts of solidarity. Why? Is making solidarity, mutual assistance, communitarian effort an act of sedition simply because of voicing out a really serious concern? Of what is democracy that the order being bragged upon?
Perhaps, if being one with the people especially in this time of pandemic is itself an act of sedition, then everyone is guilty as charged. To call it political may be ridiculous as most think of, but trying to depoliticise it didn't realise that life itself is political, that being part of society is itself political. To help is not about in search of a good vibe, to help, to solidarise, to struggle is to be human.