Legislators said the rise of community pantries during the coronavirus pandemic should serve as a wake-up call for President Rodrigo Duterte’s government to step up in addressing the crisis at hand.

Members of Congress first heaped praises on Patreng Non for setting up the Maginhawa Community Pantry in Quezon City, as it has inspired other residents to do the same in their respective areas.

In these community pantries, strangers leave out food and other essential goods in a marked communal area so anyone who needs these goods can freely take the items. 

But the legislators also slammed the Duterte administration, arguing this “bayanihan” initiative is a sign that people are in “desperate” need of help.

Duterte has long received widespread criticism for tragically mishandling the COVID-19 pandemic, which has already claimed the lives of 15,960 people as of Sunday, April 18. Of the total cases, 141,089 are active.

Hospitals and other medical institutions are now overwhelmed, with some patients losing their fight to COVID-19 without even getting a chance to enter the emergency room.

Here’s what senators, as well as district and party-list legislators, had to say about the community pantries and its implications on Duterte’s pandemic response:

Senator Risa Hontiveros

“Pambihirang inspirasyon ito sa gitna ng krisis at malaking tulong upang maitawid ang ilan sa pangangailangan ng ating mga kababayan. Ngunit sa kabilang banda, ipinapakita rin nito ang malaking kakulangan ng pamahalaan sa pagtugon sa COVID-19. This administration needs to step up. Malaki talaga ang kakulangan. Hindi kayang saluhin ng taumbayan ang gobyerno forever. “

(This is a great source of inspiration in the middle of this crisis and it is a big help for our countrymen in need. But this also shows the big gaps in the government’s response to COVID-19. This administration needs to step up. There area lot of lapses. The people cannot save the government forever.)

“Bukod sa ayuda, kailangan na ng isang insitusyunal na program tulad ng ‘food banks’ lalo na sa mga tukoy na lugar kung saan maraming nangangailangan.”

(Apart from subsidies, there’s a need for institutional programs like ‘food banks’ especially for areas in most need.)

Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson

“Community food pantry is an inspiration born out of desperation. It is a selfless act of people, unwitting they may be… telling government to do better.”

Senator Leila de Lima

“While the community pantries showed the good in people, it also highlighted the government’s lack of support for Filipinos. I hope that this recent initiative by the public will prompt the government to step up its COVID-19 response. Ang kailangan: Bayanihan, hindi kapabayaan (What we need is community spirit, not negligence.)”

Senator Imee Marcos

“The emergence of community pantries is also proof that “Bayanihan” is very much alive, though it also mirrors the lack of government aid. The exclusion of many from the DSWD’s flawed list has caused confusion and disorder. We can only hope that government aid is better organized, expedited, and most of all augmented for families hit by the disease and that have lost their livelihood. Let’s go all out to help our fellowmen!”

Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara

“Maliit na bagay kung tutuusin ang pamamahagi ng libreng gulay, prutas, bigas, tubig o noodles ng isang tao, pamilya o grupo ng tao, para sa mga naghihirap sa panahon na ito dahil sa nawalan sila ng hanapbuhay ay malaking tulong na ito para mapatid ang gutom.”

(Giving free vegetables, fruits, rice, water, or noodles to a person, family, or groups in need is actually a small thing if you think about it, but this is a big help for those who lose their jobs since they will be able to eat.)

“We encourage our local government units, the national government, and even private businesses who can afford it to replicate and even scale up these community pantries to cater to even more people.”

Senator Nancy Binay

“Bilang mga Pilipino (As Filipinos), we always have this unflinching desire to help whenever extraordinary circumstances call us to respond. It shows that Filipinos are naturally generous, compassionate, and have the heart for service. And when things seem uncertain, and despairing – community pantries are a testament that hope is not lost. Sharing does not need to have any color or politics.”

Senator Ralph Recto

“May mga pictures na tinatapon na lang ang kamatis kasi walang bumibili. Bakit hindi na lang ito bilhin ng pamahalaan at ipamigay sa mga komunidad na nagtayo ng sarili nilang food banks? Poor farmers are giving our bureaucrats with doctorates in their names a master class in bringing their produce to the cities.”

(There are pictures of tomatoes being thrown away because no one is buying them. Why can’t the government buy these and give these to communities that have put up their own food banks? Poor farmers are giving our bureaucrats with doctorates in their names a master class in bringing their produce to the cities.)

Senator Joel Villanueva

“I think it is ‘Love thy neighbor’ in practice, and the classic bayanihan in action. It is an indicator of our people’s selflessness, and, sadly, an indictment of their government’s many weaknesses in giving help.”

“This is a way of responding to the urgent call of communities for help. But to survive the pandemic, we need the government to be more precise in its action. I hope that the community pantries continue to inspire us. I hope it also inspires the government to act fast.”

Senator Francis ‘Kiko’ Pangilinan

“It warms the heart. It fills the tummy. This is a big deal. People Power against hunger and want. I believe that there’s no greater power than a united empathetic action altogether toward one goal. It’s a sort of community aid while waiting for government aid. Or as bridge when the aid arrives because government aid might have not been enough to fill the needs of our people. Where else do we get courage and strength to overcome the challenges brought by the pandemic but from each other?”

Bayan Muna Representative Carlos Zarate

“#CommunityPantryPH is an act of #Resistance against government neglect and indifference. #CommunityPantry also follows correct mass lines: ‘from the masses, to the masses’ and ‘from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.’”

– Rappler.com