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A year later: How Maginhawa community pantry turned into a battle cry for basic social services

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Josiah Antonio, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Photo by Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/life/04/14/20210421-community-pantry-baguio-jg4.jpg"/><figcaption>Photo by Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA — A full stomach to survive the day may be its first goal, but the community pantry at Maginhawa street in Quezon City has evolved into a battle cry for basic social services.Fed up with the lack of pandemic response during the second lockdown last year, Ana Patricia Non build a stall near a tricycle station carrying the sign &quot;kumuha batay sa pangangailangan, magbigay ayon sa kakayanan&quot; (get what you need, give what can) with her extra goods.Today, around 6,700 community pantries can at some point be seen around the Philippines, each filled with stories of hope and bayanihan spirit. &quot;Bawat taong pupunta sa pantry may dala eh, kwento man ‘yan, donation, may dala silang kwento at lahat struggling. Movement siya ng love at kindness pero out of struggle siya. Umay na umay na akong walang pandemic response,&quot; Non told ABS-CBN News. &quot;Out of struggle siya, out of frustration, pero at some point ayokong mabuhay dahil sa galit or dahil sa umay. Mas gusto ko siyang i-transform into love,&quot; she added. <div>TRIP TO MEMORY LANE</div>Non, also known as Patreng, looked back on the day, April 14, when she had extra goods from the aid given by the local government unit and stressed how hard it was for her neighbors to face yet another surge of COVID-19 cases. &quot;Pagka-swab test namin nasa 68 pala ‘yung positive cases so nag-extend nang na-extend [ang lockdown] at ‘yung mga kapitbahay ko gutom talaga. Tapos &#x27;yung ayuda from [local government units], hindi ko mauubos kasi mag-isa lang ako sa bahay. Sine-save ko siya tapos iniisip ko, hindi ko siya ilalagay sa kitchen kasi hindi ko siya mauubos,&quot; she said. &quot;&#x27;Yung una kong decision maglatag lang ng sako diyan sa sidewalk, kunin ng mga tao. Pero na-realize ko may community pantry pala sa ibang bansa na practice na talaga siya sa US. Tapos iikot pa &#x27;yung tulong, masu-sustain ng mga tao. Minimal &#x27;yung pagkikita, minimal &#x27;yung contact, so &#x27;yun &#x27;yung pinakamadali nung time na &#x27;yun,&quot; she added.Her initiative might be ideal for others, but Non swallowed her pride and thought of one of her closest friends who died while serving people in a far-flung area. She requested not to give personal details about her best friend for her safety.&quot;Sinimulan ko siya, mag-isa lang ako. Weird idea siya. Sanay naman ako ng weird kasi fine arts ako di ba, parang crazy ideas? Kailangan mo talagang lunukin &#x27;yung pride mo, doon ko rin natutunan na walang nakakahiya sa pagtulong,&quot; the University of the Philippines Diliman fine arts graduate said. &quot;Best friend ko siya, namatay siya pero nasulit niya ‘yung buhay niya, Twenty-four years old, nakapag-exhibit, nagpagawa ng art kung saan-saang gallery, nakapag-organize ng unions, nagpunta sa countryside, tumulong sa mga local. Fullfilled ‘yung life niya, ginawa niya &#x27;yung gusto niya tapos ako noong time na &#x27;yung pagkaalis sa UP, nagsa-struggle ako kung saan ako. Tapos umo-okay naman ako sa work ko, pero alam kong hindi masaya,&quot; she added.Non said it was her dream to visit communities like her best friend and help them, but she took a different path and it took a while to embrace her flaws. &quot;Alam ko, ang dream ko mag-visit sa communities, magpunta sa mga indigenous tribes para roon matuto sa pagtatanim, sa way of life nila, simpleng buhay. Para maging honest sa iba, kailangang maging honest ka sa sarili mo. Kailangan mong palayain &#x27;yung sarili mo, mistakes, &#x27;yung present, &#x27;yung past, lahat,&quot; Non said. &quot;Hindi na nga mapagpalaya ‘yung society, hindi mo pa palalayain ‘yung sarili mo. Holistic siya na change na mahal ko na ‘yung katawan ko, mahal ko na &#x27;yung pagkakamali ko... Noon sinisisi ko sarili ko pero dumating sa point na, ay &#x27;yung pinagdaanan ko, ang laki ng natutunan ko rito,&quot; she added. Given her background as a former student leader, Non has faced death threats and red-tagging but this did not stop her from defending the initiative. The community itself has also protected her, giving her a sense of fulfillment in her vision. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/11/21/maginhawa-community-pantry-organizer-gets-death-rape-threats">Maginhawa Community Pantry organizer gets death, rape threats</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/20/21/community-pantry-initiator-fears-for-life-after-false-red-tag-claims">Community pantry initiator fears for life after false red-tag claims</a></li></ul>&quot;Ang daming fake news sa akin sa YouTube. Ang daming taong as if kilalang-kilala nila ako. Sa totoo, kung hindi ko siya na-handle nang maayos, puwedeng sira na ‘yung buhay ko. Nakakasira siya ng buhay, nakakasira siya ng dignidad kasi para sa akin, ngayon pa lang ako naging honest eh. Ngayon ko pa lang nakikilala ‘yung sarili ko biglang kayo ‘yung magde-define sa akin. Isyu rin siya ng pagiging babae na ide-define ka, tatakutin ka,&quot; Non said.&quot;Hindi ko ibibigay ‘yung energy ko sa hindi deserve. Nag-start ako ng pantry para sa ibang tao, dito sa mga nagugutom. Ang daming nagugutom oh, kayo iisipin ko? Nakakatuwa kasi ‘yung community ‘yung tumulong sa akin mag-survive. Tapos doon ko naramdaman na ito ‘yung community na gusto natin na safe, na hindi na tayo matatakot sa buhat natin,&quot; she added. &quot;May chance akong mamatay pero tatandaan niyo na kapag namatay ako, fulfilled ‘yung life ko kasi ginawa ko ‘yung gusto ko. Kahit anong gawin nila sa ’kin, fulfilled ako, ‘yung last na hininga ko doon ako pinakakalmado kasi alam ko na ‘yung ginagawa ko may intentions akong babalikan.&quot; <div>INSTALLATION ART</div>For Non, the community pantry is like an art installation. The community depicted in the work defines its beauty, she said, noting that it was always about the Filipino people and not her. &quot;Para rin siyang installation art para sa ’kin in a sense na kaya kong i-distance ‘yung sarili ko na ‘yung pantry hindi siya tungkol sa akin, tungkol siya sa community,&quot; Non said. &quot;Hindi ko kinukuha ‘yung pride, hindi ko kinukuha ‘yung credits kasi tungkol siya sa ’ting lahat dito sa areas, ganoon din sa ibang pantries. Hindi po siya ayuda, mutual aid po siya [na] bigay ng kapwa natin, mga neighbors natin,&quot; she added. Marginalized sectors like farmers, fisherfolk, members of the LGBT community, women, and even families of war on drugs victims have led their areas or contributed to building their own pantries and felt a sense of belongingness in their communities. &quot;‘Yung mga community pantry organizers, sila ‘yung nasa laylayan ng lipunan or sila ‘yung pinaka-oppressed. Tapos dahil oppressed sila, alam nila ‘yung pakiramdam. Tapos doon mo mare-realize na oppressed ka na ng community mo, willing ka pa ring magbigay sa community kasi gusto nating lahat matanggap,&quot; Non said. &quot;Umiikot ‘yung local economy, na puwede pala ‘yung ma-empower tayo tapos ‘yung mga gulay binibili natin sa naglalako na volunteer na rin. Tungkol siya sa dignity na lahat tayo, normal na nakakakain three times a day, lahat pala tayo deserve ng healthy meal,&quot; she added. Aside from food, some community pantries have offered free medical checkups and medicine, legal consultations, and even discussions about violence against women and children and how to defend themselves. Non said this is proof that pantries are not just charity, but a mutual aid driven by the community. &quot;Ine-empower niya ‘yung isa’t isa tapos lahat ng tulong pantay-pantay. Hindi siya aasa sa iba na one time, big time... Parang nasa ilalim tayong lahat ng bahay kubo, nagbabayanihan, lahat tayo same ‘yung dinadala. Hindi man natin bahay ‘yun, same ‘yung pasan-pasan natin tapos lahat tayo same na grounded sa lupa,&quot; she said. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/04/19/21/bayanihan-community-pantry-pilipinas-covid19-pandemic">Modern bayanihan: Kaniya-kaniyang community pantry nagsulputan sa bansa</a></li></ul>She added that the community pantry is liberating as it welcomes people from all walks of life.&quot;Mapagpalaya siya. Extension siya ng kusina natin, lahat welcome -- anong edad, anong political na paniniwala, ano ‘yung kasarian mo, ano ‘yung katayuan mo sa buhay, lahat welcome. Ibibigay niya lang ‘yung gusto mong pagkain. ‘Yung mga nahihirapan sa buhay, [masasabing] puwede pala kaming tumulong, puwede rin pala kaming tulungan ng kapwa mahihirap. Nae-empower niya talaga ‘yung communities,&quot; Non said. &quot;Kailangan busog ‘yung tiyan natin para magawa ‘yung gusto natin para makalaban tayo, para makapagtrabaho tayo, makapag-aral tayo. Wala siyang judgement sa mga tao kasi depende pa rin siya sa kakayahan, dahil magbigay ayon sa kakayahan, kumuha batay sa pangangailangan,&quot; she added. <div>NOT AN INSTITUTION BUT A NATION</div>Non still works despite leading the community pantry in Maginhawa and its network. After all the achievements and hardships it faced, she is still sticking to the core of the initiative, bayanihan.&quot;Lahat volunteer work siya, kailangan mong i-juggle lahat. Mabigat siya pero at the same time, inaalala ko rin na hindi dapat sa ’kin ‘yung burden na pakainin lahat. Pero malungkot na ‘yung mga tao nagugutom, sa pantry pupunta. Saan pa ba sila hihingi ng tulong, sino pa ‘yung pwedeng makinig sa kanila? &#x27;Yun ‘yung struggle,&quot; Non said. &quot;Mahirap siya pero marami akong nakilala, ang dami kong natutunan, ang daming sumuporta. Unconciously ‘yung dream ko nagawa ko, nakapunta ako sa maraming communities, nabisita ko ‘yung indigenous people,&quot; she added.Asked if they are planning to institutionalize the community pantry or new milestones, Non said that it is best that the initiative is still rooted in the communities.&quot;Hindi ko siya nakikita na i-institutionalize kasi movement siya. Gusto ko siyang ibaba sa mga communities, gusto ko siya na sa community pa rin siya... Kung mangangarap ako sa pantry, mangangarap na ako para sa community. Holistic dapat siyang tingnan para ma-sustain ‘yung community pantry, garden, kitchen, poultry, or kung anuman ‘yan dapat empowered ‘yung community, may access sa basic services, social services,&quot; Non said. &quot;Ang message ng pantry, food is essential, life is essential. ‘Yung mga nakaraang taon nakita natin, ang daming pinapatay sa war on drugs, ang daming pinapatay na aktibista, ang daming namatay sa COVID, ang daming namatay na health workers. Parang natural na lang ‘yung kamatayan sa atin eh and ‘yung buhay nga hindi mapahalagahan, ‘yung pagkain pa kaya so ‘yung pantry hindi, ilalaban natin ‘yung buhay natin,&quot; she added.&quot;Mag-survive ka lang today at may pagkain tayo, ganoon ‘yung goal niya. Mahalin natin ‘yung buhay, huwag nating isipin na mag-isa tayo, andiyan ‘yung community natin.&quot; <div>Related video:</div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1666353" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

The community pantry at Maginhawa street in Quezon City has evolved into a battle cry for basic social services. 

A year later: How Maginhawa community pantry turned into a battle cry for basic social services

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A year later: How Maginhawa community pantry turned into a battle cry for basic social services

Josiah Antonio,

ABS-CBN News

Published Apr 14, 2022 04:59 PM PHT

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food security

community pantry

Ana Patricia Non

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