There is something compelling about the notion of giving what you can and taking only what you need—the guiding principle behind community pantries that have sprung up all over the country to ease the burden we all feel as the COVID-19 pandemic drags on into its second year.
Many advocates of the pantries trace this principle to the Filipino tradition of bayanihan, or community spirit, while others point to the Christian tradition of charity that states that to those to whom much is given, much will also be required.
In either case, the intention behind the pantries is unmistakably benevolent, and only a fool would mistake the word “community” for “communist.”
Still, there are indications that these noble intentions are brushing up against some hard realities.
The death of a 67-year-old man who collapsed and died while standing in line at one community pantry in Quezon City was an extreme example, but there are other causes for concern.
It’s bad enough that seniors, who are most vulnerable to COVID-19, are lining up at these venues in violation of quarantine rules, and exposing themselves to the risk of infection and punishing weather conditions. Worse, the throngs of people standing shoulder to shoulder are clearly not observing social distancing guidelines.
Beyond these legitimate health concerns, we wonder how workable the “give-what-you can and take-what-you-need” model is to our situation when the most visible part of the equation is the taking. Somehow, in the rush to get free goods, the spirit of helping others has been lost. And when those standing in line complain that they came a long distance and waited a long time only to be told they will get nothing, the sense of community is lost, too.
Community pantries are a great way for people to help each other in these trying times.
But clearly, the way they are run needs to be tweaked so that the sense of community is not lost. There also should be a way to deal with potential abuse—of people lining up every day and taking more than they need while offering nothing.
Finally, organizers need to find a way to avoid mass gatherings that their pantries attract. The organizer of the Maginhawa community pantry, for instance, is decentralizing its distribution of aid and bringing the goods to different barangays as a way to avoid overcrowding at its main site, which has been converted into a drop-off center for donations.
Community pantries were born out of a desire to help people during this pandemic. All efforts must be exerted so that we do not kill them with our kindness.