MANILA — Filipinos embody a spirit of generosity, often sharing what little they have with others. A shining example is the Facebook group Declutter Manila, a community where people freely give and receive items, fostering kindness and support.

Declutter Manila was founded in August 2020 by the married couple Elaine and Franco Padilla. The latter developed the platform after observing his wife frequently selling or donating items, including their son's outgrown clothing and toys.

According to Elaine, her husband thought the Facebook group would bring people joy, especially during the tough times of the pandemic when many found themselves in a pickle after losing their jobs.

"It started with us lang. Us posting our items that we wanted to give away to friends. I started with my clothes and my baby's stuff. And then after a while, mga bed sheets na ‘yung mga ganu’n na," she said.

(It just started with us. Us posting our items that we wanted to give away to friends. I started with my clothes and my baby's stuff. And then after a while, those were bed sheets.)

Currently, the group has over 430,000 members and is still growing.

“Initially, no kasi aside from the desire to really bless and give, I think it was also because during the pandemic, bored tayong lahat, nasa bahay lang tayo, we can't go out. So, and then parang naisip namin, paano ito magagrow? Di naman namin pinapromote or something,” she said if they expected the group to expand.

(Initially, no, because aside from the desire to really bless and give, I think it was also because during the pandemic, we were all bored, we were just at home, we couldn't go out. So, and then we kind of thought, how will this grow? We didn't promote it or anything.)

HOW TO GIFT AND RECEIVE

The process of giving and receiving is simple. To give, one just needs to post what they want to donate and include some instructions for the "miners" or those who wish to receive them.

Then, to receive gifts, simply express your desire by commenting "mine" or sharing a reason to enhance your chance of being chosen. Lastly, the two parties will connect to ensure a smooth shipping process.

But this large a crowd can have its fair share of pitfalls, with some individuals taking advantage of the group's kindness.

ALAMIN: Paano magbabawas at mag-aayos ng mga gamit?

“They would always say 'mine'. Parang nakaabang na lang sila the whole day, and then they would resell the items. We don't also encourage that kasi parang we didn't want naman people to just sit down and wait for blessings,” she said.

(They would always say 'mine'. It's like they just wait the whole day, and then they resell the items. We don't also encourage that because we don’t want people to just sit down and wait for blessings.)

To address this incident, the group has administrators monitoring user actions and members who report users who frequently sell on various platforms.

WEDDING GOWN

Nevertheless, people still received and used the things they "mined". A member, Angelou A. Susmeña, a 24-year-old housewife, received items she used on her special wedding day.

“Ang naibigay po sa akin sa Declutter [Manila ay] wedding gown, sandals po na ginamit ko sa kasal ko, corsage din po bigay ng magkakaibang tao ‘yun kaya super blessed talaga ako na ako ‘yung nabigyan dahil kailangan ko talaga ‘yung mga na-mine ko. Nakakatulong talaga lalo na sa amin na hindi afford bumili ng mga gamit,” Susmeña said.

(What I received at Declutter [Manila] was a wedding gown, sandals that I used for my wedding, and a corsage that different people also gave, so I am really blessed to have been given them because I really need what I got. It really helps, especially for those of us who can't afford to buy things.)

She also said she did not expect to be chosen, as many people had already commented "mine" on the items.

Aside from the wedding items, she also got a baby stroller bike for her son, for which the giver gave her lots of boys’ clothes.

“Hangga't sa maaari po ang mina-mine ko po talaga ay ‘yung needed lang po namin na hindi po talaga namin afford gaya po ng sofa or TV [kung] may nagpo-post po. Marami lang talaga nangangailangan kaya mabilis ma-mine,” the housewife added.

(As long as I can, what I'm really getting is what we really need that we can't really afford, like a sofa or TV [if] someone is posting. There are only so many people who need it, so other people quickly get it.)

Wishing her luck to come, Susmeña hopes to grab a decluttered television and sofa to add to their humble home. 

COMPUTER MONITORS, CELLPHONES

Meanwhile, the group posted expensive items such as computer monitors and cellphones, and appliances like washing machines and refrigerators.

“Essentially, this was just all about talagang finding it in your heart lang, to also think of other people. The world does not revolve around you lang so, you also have to think about them and see how you can also make a difference in your own, little ways,” Padilla said.

(Essentially, this was just all about really finding it in your heart to also think of other people. The world does not revolve around you just so, you also have to think about them and see how you can also make a difference in your own, little ways.)

With this statement, she related it to her experience during the pandemic, wherein she gave out her extra clothes, and the receiver could not stop thanking her because it is a mother who cannot buy new clothes for her teenage daughter.

“Sometimes kasi people would say, ‘Hindi naman ako mayaman, paano ako tutulong?’ or something like that. There's always something that you can share and sometimes more than the item; it's really the heart of you wanting to share,” she said.

(Sometimes, people would say, ‘I'm not rich, how can I help?’ or something like that. There's always something that you can share and sometimes more than the item; it's really the heart of you wanting to share.)

She said that she and her husband come from a position of grace. Now, they also receive blessings from God and those around them.

“That's the culture that we really wanna share lang with everyone— to be gracious, to be kind, because it's already such a difficult world that we live in, so just be that person who can spread kindness,” she said. 

With the group's success, the founders plan to meet some of the members, especially those who are always decluttering and sharing their unused items.

Moreover, they envision creating videos that empower individuals to discover ways to earn from the comfort of their own homes.

“While we want to give and bless, ayaw din namin mag-promote ng mediocrity sa mga tao. We want you also to learn how to fish, ‘di ba? And earn for yourself,” she said.