Revolution from the heart

I went to see the Maginhawa Community Pantry one afternoon, but was surprised to see that the long queues were gone. Even the pantry itself was no longer there.

I drove a bit further and I saw a crowd gathered around the nearby barangay hall. The pantry, I learned, moved there as organizers required a bigger space for all the donations they have been getting – sacks of rice, heaps of vegetables, canned goods, and what have you.

There were barangay workers, volunteers, and other organizers repacking the goods and making sure everything was in order.

Big business

When I was there, a van filled with Chooks-to-Go food packs arrived. Chooks-to-Go is owned by the Chen family’s poultry giant Bounty Agro Ventures.

Taipan Carlos Chan’s Liwayway Group, maker of the iconic snack foods brand Oishi, also donated dozens of big boxes of biscuits and instant coffee. I also saw a truck filled with Gardenia bread in front of the pantry, preparing to unload.

It was quite a sight to see – all these people volunteering to prepare food packs for strangers in need, corporate giants helping out, individuals lining up to give what they can and to get what they need and, of course, the one who started it all, 26-year-old Ana Patricia Non. I saw her behind a table in a huddle with volunteers, busily coordinating donations and perhaps other things necessary for the next day’s operations.

Hijacked

She didn’t look tired at all. I was in awe of her energy and dedication amidst all the challenges she faced and continues to face, especially with the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict and some supporters of the Duterte administration dismissing her efforts and other community pantry initiatives as communist propaganda.

Such reactions aren’t surprising. After all, various groups from far ends of the political spectrum were quick to hitch a ride on the remarkable success of the community pantries – government critics and supporters alike – to stress their own interests.

Those in government, averse to criticisms or any idea that makes the Duterte administration look incompetent, naturally, pounced back with their own narratives.

But let’s not be blinded by the whole brouhaha. At the end of the day, the idea of the community pantry has already won despite attempts by government officials and supporters to put this initiative in a bad light.

Long haul

It will be tiring for sure, and organizers, donors and volunteers need to be prepared for the work ahead because, at the rate things are going and with the government’s insufficient response against COVID-19, the difficulties brought about by the pandemic aren’t likely to abate soon.

For sure, these community pantries, which started just as humble bamboo carts filled vegetables with signs that read – “Magbigay ayon sa kakayahan, kumuha batay sa pangangailangan (give what you can, take what you need) – perfectly capture the needs and the call of these difficult times.

Indeed, those who have more have shared and continue to share what they can.

Hunger

These food banks, nonetheless, should not absolve the government from its responsibility of addressing food security in the country.

A December 2020 survey of the Social Weather Station showed that four million families experienced involuntary hunger at least once in three months prior to the survey results. In September 2020, due to prolonged lockdowns, 7.6 million families were left hungry, or a record high hunger incidence of 30.7 percent compared to the pre-pandemic level of 8.8 percent which was recorded in December 2019.

Moving forward, there should be fundamental change, way beyond these food banks. The state must address the social needs of the people so they themselves are able to bring food to their own tables – education, health, and more employment – with all the tools available to it such as fiscal and monetary measures. On the other side of it, employers must likewise provide decent living wages so that the working class can afford to feed themselves and their families.

These pantries, after all, may not be sustained and therefore may not last long; only time will tell. But one thing is certain – in these difficult times, the number of people going to bed hungry is less than what it was before these pantries happened.

A movement

While these pantries cannot exist forever, I am sure there will be more food banks in the coming days because of the great hour of need in our country today.

This is as much a testament to the Filipino’s capacity to respond to the needs of his fellowmen as it is a protest against our government’s incompetent response against COVID-19.

What started as a simple, noble, and amazingly doable idea is now a movement.

There are now 350 community pantries across the country and counting, igniting a revolution from the heart.

And when the beating of the heart echoes the beating of the drums, it is the kind of protest that is bound to get bigger. The government would do well to listen. Listen hard and listen well...do you hear the people sing?

Iris Gonzales’ email address is [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @eyesgonzales. Column archives at eyesgonzales.com