SUMMARY
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Sixteen local government units in Metro Manila as of Wednesday, April 21, said they supported the community pantries sprouting all over the metropolis, amid fears that permit requirements would bog down efforts to organize similar projects.
On Tuesday, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said he left it to barangay LGUs whether to require community pantry organizers to secure permits.
Many Metro Manila mayors however saw no need to bureaucratize the process.
Below are the statements of Metro Manila LGUs on whether community pantry organizers needed clearances from their barangay or city halls.
Caloocan
Caloocan Mayor Oca Malapitan said the bayanihan (cooperation) spirit among Filipinos should not require clearances from the city government.
“Kung kailangan ng assistance para mapanatili ang social distancing, maaaring ipagbigay-alam sa ating barangay para matulungan, ngunit hindi kailangan ng permit (If an organizer needs assistance to ensure social distancing, he can ask assistance from the barangay, but a permit is not needed),” he said.
Las Piñas
The public information office of Las Piñas said as of April 20, no guidelines have been established on community pantries.
“We are just advising them to follow the usual health and safety protocols,” Paul San Miguel of the Las Piñas PIO told Rappler.
Makati
The Makati PIO said Mayor Abby Binay allowed community pantries to operate in the city without any permit.
“Alam naman natin na maganda ang hangarin ng mga organizer ng mga community pantry (We know that the organizers’ intentions are good),” city legal officer Don Camiña said.
Malabon
The city PIO said anyone is free to organize a community pantry as long as COVID-19 safety protocols are observed.
“Ang permit ay hindi na kailangan (A permit is not necessary),” Malabon PIO chief Bong Padua said.
Mandaluyong
Mandaluyong Mayor Menchie Abalos also rejected a permit requirement for community pantries but asserted that this does not mean that organizers “should be exempt from the laws and ordinances of the city”.
“We encourage community pantries here in the city to coordinate with their respective barangays. In this manner, we could help them choose the best location where most people could benefit and at the same time, where there would be no obstruction,” Abalos said in a statement.
Manila
Manila Mayor Isko Moreno said he has instructed the Manila Police District not to stop people from setting up their community pantries.
“Maglatag na kayo kahit saang kanto o barangay sa Maynila (Set up a pantry in whichever street or barangay of Manila). Good deeds need no permit,” he told residents in a statement.
Marikina
Marikina Mayor Marcelino Teodoro also confirmed to Rappler that his LGU would not require community pantry organizers to apply for permits.
“Activities related to the culture of bayanihan, like the community pantry, should be left unregulated,” Teodoro said.
Muntinlupa
The city PIO confirmed there was no permit requirement for community pantry organizers, as Mayor Jaime Fresnedi “supports the spirit of bayanihan and kindness” among its residents.
“As long [as the] organizers clearly follow the DILG and coordinates with barangays for crowd control [and] health protocols, they can proceed,” Muntinlupa PIO chief Tez Navarro told Rappler on Wednesday, April 21.
Navotas
Navotas Mayor Toby Tiangco told Rappler he also did see a need to compel community pantry organizers to get barangay or city hall clearances.
“I haven’t heard of any barangay requiring a permit,” he said.
Parañaque
In an interview with the media, Parañaque Mayor Edwin Olivarez welcomed the community pantry initiative.
“Coordinate [with the barangay], but no issuance of permit,” Olivares said in a mix of English and Filipino on April 21.
Pasay
The city PIO said Pasay joins other LGUs in allowing community pantries to operate without a permit.
“Pakiusap ko lamang po na gawin natin ito na may kaayusan kaya dapat ay makipag-ugnayan muna ang mga organizer sa mga barangay kung saan nila ito itatayo (I request that you do it orderly, and coordinate with the barangay),” Pasay Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano added in a statement.
Pateros
Pateros public information officer Renato Bade told Rappler that there was no permit requirement for now because there were only a few community pantries in the municipality.
“Sakali mang i-require ang permit ng LGU, ito po ay libre o walang bayad sa magiging organizers (If the LGU requires a permit for organizers, it will be free of charge),” Bade said.
Pasig
Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto said Tuesday that there was no “permit to help” that must be secured from his city office.
“We commend the individuals who are helping as they can afford. Government has limited resources, so any effort to help others is very welcome,” he said.
Quezon City
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte told Rappler permits were not necessary.
“They only need to coordinate with the barangays so that they may be assisted with maintaining health protocols as well as peace and order,” she said.
The first community pantry to emerge during the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in Metro Manila in April 2021 was in Maginhawa, Quezon City.
Its organizer, Ana Patricia Non, however, had to shut it down for a day on April 20 due to being red-tagged by the Quezon City Police District and the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
The QCPD has issued an apology, while Belmonte guaranteed that the city government would ensure the organizers’ safety.
San Juan
In San Juan, pantry organizers will not be compelled to apply for a barangay permit.
“It’s always nice to see people with more blessings sharing to those who are less fortunate,” San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora said.
Taguig
The city PIO has yet to release an official statement on the matter.
Valenzuela
Valenzuela Mayor Rex Gatchalian told Rappler no clearances are required for community pantry organizers in his city.
“We welcome the private sector’s volition to become part of the solution,” he said. – Rappler.com
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