Over recent days, community pantries have appear all in response to the crisis caused by the pandemic and the inactions under the Duterte administration.
Started in Maginhawa in Quezon City and now in various places in Metro Manila and surrounding provinces, these pantries, as any mutual help initiatives, foster a sense of social solidarity along with a strong rebuke, indictment on the gross failures brought by the order in providing the needs of the folk especially amidst COVID19 pandemic and the ever-worsening economic conditions. It is also a welcoming relief, as true to the dictum "give while you can, take what you need", that folks able to donate stuff so others able to get their basic needs of their families amidst rising prices, and failure to provide support especially to those undemployed due to the pandemic.
However, according to the initiator of the community pantry, said that these are only a "temporary solution" and at the same time expressed concern over the order's inaction in ensuring the welfare of the folk, if not the militarist response to the pandemic that caused surveillance, if not harassment over the pantries. A year ago, demands for support been raised by concerned individuals and groups as the government's half-hearted response to the pandemic has raised anxiety. The "community quarantine" for instance has resulted to retrenchment of workers if not unemployment, of failure to procure vaccines despite "promises to return to normal in December" by Duterte last 2020. And now as these concerned folks rather take the solution in their hands such as these community pantries and various forms of mutual aid, this move isn't simply an act of kindness but an immediate popular solution to a half-hearted government action.
And because of these factors, it is not surprising that kind of concern, for despite popular appraisal, harassments occur especially to those "critics" who downplayed efforts as a "propaganda", of red-tagging organisers, even urging authorities to "regulate" these pantries in pursuit of "keeping it apolitical" if not monitoring against potential political dissent from the organisers. However, for the fact that being concerned over the present situations and making actions is political in itself, then expect mutual aid, like these pantries, soup kitchens, and the likes rather a novel form of people power the order feared about. From this no wonder The military and the police saw this and their knee-jerk reaction was to intimidate and red-tag the organizers of the community pantries. That the innocent guideline of “Give what you can, take what you need” alarms them as an echo of the Karl Marx dictum “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.” If not mistaken, even the Bible, through the "Acts of the Apostles", that the lifestyle of the community of believers in Jerusalem is described as communal (without individual possession), and uses the phrase "distribution was made unto every man according as he had need" (διεδίδετο δὲ ἑκάστῳ καθότι ἄν τις χρείαν εἶχεν). For sure the authorities have forgotten that "the welfare of the people is the highest form of the law", have they really forgot it in favour of self interest?
No matter the order and its apologists trying to downplay the efforts of those taking part in setting-up community pantries in every street or village, the fact that these folks are serious in its concern, that they have enough of the regime's rosy statements and mediocre performance. In fact, the wildfire continues to spread that even those from the government, including the police, trying to set-up their own "pantries" in an attempt to counter popular criticism over the half-hearted actions laid by the administration.
Sadly, the latter's actions are marred by politicians and bureaucrats who treated such altruistic actions for obvious political patronage- that is not surprising given the state of Philippine politics in its naked form: feudal, if not despotic that's trying to be benevolent paternalist.
But regardless of those moves, the community pantry movement, true to its sense of solidarity, has brought hope as its organisers, with their initiatives, provide immediate assistance amidst the crisis that affects not just lives but also their sustenance. This sense of unity would say overshadows the issues that served as stumbling blocks to the success of the movement. For sure people will still downplay the politically driven facts behind the movement in favour of just "feel good" kindness, that this "bayanihan", "ujamaa", or "communityhood" shows everyone helping each other out, but, the fact that there are no other options aside from the half-hearted initiatives from the government, it is not surprising that the folk chose to stand up for themselves, having enough of the pandemic-driven hunger that has pushed themselves against the wall and disregard the threats that surroundeth them.