The Maginhawa community pantry in Quezon City reopened this Wednesday.
Organizer Ana Patricia Non temporarily closed it on Tuesday due to fears for the safety of volunteers due to red-tagging incidents.
Hundreds went this Wednesday but police allowed them to line up at 5 am in accordance with the curfew.
“Starting today gusto po namin sana na magfocus tayo dun sa community pantry. Mas madaming sumusuporta naman po kesa bumabatikos. Ayaw ko po ibuhos ang energy ko sa mga taong hindi nakakaintindi,” said Non.
“Kung may doubts pa po ang tao sa community pantry, bisita po sila sa kahit saang community pantry sa Pilipinas kasi hindi lang po dito ang umaani ng supporta, 120 na po ang community pantries sa buong Pilipinas.”
Community pantries continue to grow across the country. In Manila, Paco Church turned a store that closed due to the pandemic into a community pantry.
Elisa Refuerzo, a resident, donated canned goods from the monthly food box from the local government.
“Iisa lamang po ako, hindi ko naman kaya ubusin yun…kaya sabi kong ganun pagka meron uli ako naipon, daldahin ko rin dito,” she said.
Maginhawa community pantry reopens
There are also community pantries in Malolos, Bulacan, Tabaco City in Albay, and Cagayan de Oro City.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) clarified on Tuesday that they do not have any kind of profiling conducted on the organizers of community pantries.
This was followed by reports of community pantries visited by police.
In a statement, PNP Chief Gen Debold Sinas said there is no order for the police to profile because the volunteerism of private citizens is out of the interest of the PNP.
“There is no order from the National Headquarters to conduct any form of profiling of organizers of community pantries,” said Sinas.
“It is beyond the interest of the PNP to delve into purely voluntary personal activities of private citizens,” he added.
He said the police had no intention of interfering in the community pantries.
He said the PNP is only interested in ensuring public order and safety in the queue in the pantries to comply with the protocols against COVID-19.