COMMUNITY PANTRY | Philippines prohibits community pantries under ECQ

August 3, 2021 , 05:19 PM

By Clarist Zablan

(August 3, 2021) – The Philippines has prohibited the setting up of community pantries in communities under the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), the commander of the police task force implementing stricter curbs in the capital region said.

Lieutenant General Ephraim Dickson said only ‘authorized persons outside residence” (APORs) are the only allowed to stay outside their homes during a two-week lockdown starting on Friday, August 6.

“Strictly speaking, bawal po lumabas as long as sila po ay included sa list ng APORs kaya sa mga willing mag-donate siguro,” Dickson told Cignal TV’s OnePh news channel’s “Sa Totoo Lang” program.

“Pag sila po’y kasama sa APOR talaga eh pwede po silang lumabas. Kung hindi po sila… APOR, hindi po sila pwedeng lumabas talaga.”

But the law enforcement agency will not arrest people who violate the quarantine rules. Instead, they will be sent back home.

“Unless ayaw pa rin then iho-hold namanin sa aming holding area na pwede naman silang mapang-aralan doon,” Dickson added.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) also disallowed community pantries during the ECQ, saying that it can potentially become a super-spreader event for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

“Ang problema natin dito ay baka maging super-spreader event,” MMDA head Benhur Abalos said in a Laging Handa briefing.

“Kung gustong tumulong, walang problema pero baka gumawa tayo ng mas magandang sistema na ihatid na lang sa kani-kanilang bahay.”

Volunteer groups opposed the task force’s rules saying many poor households needed food rations during the lockdown as most of them would lose jobs when small businesses closed down.

A labor group, Defend Jobs Philippines, which organized a community pantry in Manila, slammed the ban on humanitarian activities as an ‘inhumane act,’ and urged the government to instead encourage citizens to help each other.

“While the government is still undecided where it will get the funds for its planned P1,000-P4,000 ECQ cash aid and seems to be unprepared in its medical pandemic response, our people are still relying on each other’s support mechanisms to survive this crisis,” said Christian Lloyd Magsoy, the group’s spokesperson.

“The best thing for the JTF COVID Shield to do is to automatically authorize and recognize individuals, groups, and institutions who will be conducting aid efforts during the pandemic. Discriminatory and high requirements in accrediting humanitarian acts must be waived and must be set aside.”

Various groups have organized community pantries when Metro Manila experienced a surge in infections and was placed under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in April, hoping to fill the needs of the hardest-hit households.

However, the administration had maligned the organizers of community pantries, linking some of them to the Communist rebels and warning the food stalls could potentially spread the virus..

On Sunday, Vice President Leni Robredo encouraged Filipinos to donate to the pantries while waiting for further confirmation on the government cash aid.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque has confirmed on Monday that there will be cash assistance of up to P4,000 per family. The budget department said it sourced funds from the savings of the different agencies to raise enough money for cash assistance to poor households. (MM)

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