By Atty. Howie Calleja
For the past year, the one saving grace for many Filipinos was the generosity of their neighbors. The kabaybayan spirit was heavily relied on during the early months of the pandemic: it is what ensured that frontliners had a steady supply of PPEs, what supported families of out-of-work PUV drivers, and was the only “bread and butter” for those that worked on the street selling vegetables and street food. Quite simply, the donation programs formed out of the desire to help the most vulnerable move -even a small step- forward. Individuals from school clubs, alumni groups, work colleagues, and everyone in between chipped in what they could to support the poorest of the poor because there was no denying that the pandemic magnified inequalities in our society.
But, to this day, the kabaybayan spirit has not wavered and donation drives to support the most vulnerable of our countrymen. The latest came in the form of a “community pantry”, an initiative that grabbed headlines because of its timeliness (what with another lockdown affecting small businesses and rising unemployment) and its “honesty system” (take what you need, and leave what you can). The initiative captured the hearts and minds of the Filipino and even inspired more than a hundred “pop-up pantries” all over the country. Members of the community started lining up as early as 3am for its promise of food and supplies.
What then was the response of the police and members of the administration to this incredible charitable initiative? The QC Police District shared, on its official page, claims that the organizers were using the pantry to further communist propaganda. Organizers later claimed that members of the police asked for their personal contact information and questioned them on their affiliations. Next, the spokesperson for the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict claimed that there was a need to profile community pantry organizers because they claimed the government wasn’t doing enough to help the poor. He later went on to say that the woman who began the first community pantry was like Satan giving an apple to Eve. But, if we’re going to bring in biblical analogies, then perhaps we should look at the gospel narrative of a single young boy’s service being instrumental in the multiplication of the five loaves and two fish manifesting the miracle of giving.
The totality of events was, of course, more than enough for the organizer of the first community pantry, and some other individuals who began their own, to fear for their security. And so, another act of charity was brought to a halt by the fear mongering of those who serve and protect. Apparently altruism is akin to activism, and to practice philanthropy is to say our government is ineffective. Red-tagging has become so rampant and legitimized that the small acts of kindness are now labelled as rooted in the desire to push political propaganda. Perhaps because those that claim they are would not be altruistic without their own agenda?
The link between charity and activism has been solidified by the government, but this is to ignore the very core of the Filipino spirit, and the hospitality that has become synonymous to being Filipino: the tradition of the bayanihan spirit.
Even claims that this was done out of a need to remind organizers to secure a permit is laughable. The last time private enterprises were required to secure a permit and go through the bureaucracy of government agencies was for the importation of vaccines. This only resulted in delayed importation, and legitimized smuggling of their own “approved” vaccines last year without any authority of an FDA license. How can one deny the clear and urgent need of even a small initiative such as this?
However, we cannot entirely ignore the claim that the community pantry was brought from a belief that the government has been ineffective. Don’t we lend a helping hand because there is a need to serve? Isn’t that need to serve (at least) partially linked to the fact that enough isn’t being done? It is certainly not the fault of the poor that they are suffering in the new normal. Whose fault is it then? Could it perhaps be the fault of the people who give only P1000 pesos during a lockdown, with the condition that they line up for hours on end? Perhaps they wouldn’t need a community pantry if they were given safe workplaces to earn their own livable wage. Or if there were social amelioration programs that supported their families over the past year.
While this is certainly a point for discussion in the consistent red-tagging, we must still celebrate the ingenuity and generosity of the Filipino. With our countrymen still in need, the community spirit of the Filipino is there. Walang iwanan walang taguan: if the Filipino can do it on their own, then they will. The private sector has been doing their part since the start of the pandemic – the volunteerism, donations, and even testing being largely supported by the private sector has been the reason so many has survived.
But, for a government who hides behind rhetoric and innuendos, such a good community initiative will always be judged with a malicious mindset. The rise of various community pantries is a mirror that they will never want to see, because it is a reflection of one’s inability to provide even what is basic in this time of crisis. It is the response of Juan Dela Cruz to the inaction of Juan tamad.