Power of a Collective Community
The Prominence of Community Pantries
This story follows my previous writing: My Thoughts on the Emerging Community Pantries in the Philippines. Make sure to read the preceding segment before this.
“When we truly discover love, capitalism will not be possible and Marxism will not be necessary.” — Will O’Brien
Just within a week after a single community pantry was established along Maginhawa Street in Quezon City, another 350 more community pantries have emerged and this entail the different parts of the Philippines. I am truly astound on how a single act of care and empathy had sparked the whole country; its gloomy streets in mostly urban areas, had fed thousands of townies and kept passersby and nomads catered by their “daily needs” — the essentials I say which in this context include foods and goods.
MEET — ANA PATRICIA NON!
The person who first organized a community pantry, or to what was known as the ‘Maginhawa Community Pantry’— located at Maginhawa Street Quezon City. Her initiative to help and care for her neighbors has kindled the same potential from the people who, I believe have the same ‘eyes and empathy’ to see and feel the needs of the residents in her neighborhood. In the face of crisis where lots of internal and external threats are preying individuals and our nation, it is phenomenal for a person like Non to ideate and carry such ‘personal’ action to bridge the gap between the needs and the provision in the attempt of alleviating hunger in the period of lockdowns and travel restrictions; where individual livelihoods are extremely affected and employment has de-escalated. Thus for Non, Maginhawa Community Pantry only targets the vicinity of her nabe, yet turns out that the whole Philippines has emulate the action, making the ‘Maginhawa Pantry’ set-up be replicated nationwide — making it to be so contagious everywhere!
I exactly had aforementioned in my previous writing, that what these community pantries have solely signified has nothing to link with ‘dirty politics.’ Authoring this second segment of the same and related topic, I would clearly have this objective penned here. This answers to the questions: “Does communal actions like establishing community pantries in the Philippines really have to link with communism?” and “When does mutual aids like the creation of community pantries becomes right or wrong?”
THE ESSENCE OF COMMUNITY
Firstly, may this be a reminder that bombs us all back to the reality that we desperately need one another!
John Donne in his poem “No Man is an Island” expresses that “no man is an island entire of itself, every man is a piece of the continent — a part of the main” depicting that community is what we are created for! A community that is composed of plural individuals, yet are unified in oneness. But that doesn’t mean community is easy!
For everything in this world tries to pull us away from community, pushes us to choose ourselves over others, to choose independence over interdependence, to choose great things over small things, to choose going fast alone over going far together. — Shane Claiborne (Irresistible Revolution)
This is CHALLENGING! To build, foster and really live for a community is pretty challenging! The challenge doesn’t lie on whether individuals would or would not heed or be interested on knowing this collective identity, instead the other way around. The true challenge goes on the point if whether we will truly live this identity after discovering it. To simply say it, we need the right conviction to act on this DNA — we are species that are designed for a community, whose lives go hand-in-hand for others in triumphs and defeats.
THE CONTROVERSY!
Does establishing community pantries a sign to one’s allegiance of communism — in this case?
While the Maginhawa community pantry was totally established within a week; in the same short span of time, numerous of controversies were as well arising. Higher and legal entities started to question the aims behind the favorable and helpful pantries which were followed by a series of red-tagging, accusing the identity of Patricia Non and the rest of the organizers as front of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). But where does things have gone wrong? Is the community pantry itself bad? Are its aims not good enough or are the intentions of the red-taggers not fully verified?
I myself would assert, without any exaggeration nor denial of the situation, the pioneering Maginhawa community pantry and the rest three hundred fifty mimic pantries within the Philippines are truly helpful! I viewed its aims purely based on its function and benefits, as we really can view it this way; instead of giving more prevalence to the political suspicions and accusations — seeing on either which sides of the coin, they say. Beneficial in the sense that the movement itself tries to eradicate a need where mutual aids and mutual accountability are developed and strengthened. As the famous Marxist line has been quoted, “Kumuha ayon sa kailangan, magbigay ayon sa kakayahan.” The intention of the line itself is organic and simple. It was as if saying to the passersby and announcing to the neighborhood, “if you need something, tap the source — and if you are capable of giving, impart something helpful to the source. Let’s keep the flow going!” It interprets this simple! Although this Marxist line is indeed a mark of communism in theory and communism is a practical implementation of marxism in return: Marxism as a way of viewing the world embodied in a system of analysis and communism as a political system based on a marxist ideology; but what if we simultaneously ask ourselves this question, “what if we will consider and reconsider these community pantries as a radical sign of action in the midst of this pandemic, that it can surpass any of these socio-economic and political ideologies?” Do we not miss anything if this is the real case herein?
I believe, what these community pantries signify is beyond the intention of charity but a real generosity when lived! This isn’t an act to be utilized to define any political, economical or social concepts because when humanity is at stake and where the common good is concerned — any of these lines can be erased, if community wills to— just to save itself, if not the only option, at least it is one of the proven most powerful. I am neither in the position to fathom the depths of Non’s motives nor defend her good intentions and the entire movement, but the results itself of choosing to self-establish the said community pantry have impacted a national gap between hunger and provision, where thousand of citizens have experience the effect of the movement’s mission — as if it is a miracle! Why would I accuse such excellent initiative as something heinous, when it is what the nation truly needs? On the other hand, I know where the interrogations of the minority are coming from. I myself would not halt them having the art of doubts. I agree if they say, they’re critical enough to assess the movement; and they are austere and evaluative concerning it. I respect their authority but it is disappointing that a lot of us have perceive that individual’s mutual accountability still needs a legal consent from the state — local agencies to be exact in order to be fully formalized. A thought still lingers in my head, “do we really still need a permit to be of any help to others?” On a more specific instance, does a person still needs to inform the state if one wants to feed his/her neighbor?
There are things that involves the inclusion for the body of people — the citizenry and the inclusion of actions for the common good that are actually apolitical in nature, yet people have grow gazing upon it as political — blocking its authentic purpose through the formalized concepts that aren’t really necessary!
Unnecessary because it is unfamiliar to the marginalized and to the poor; while the urgency of the need is still unresolved, the process makes the higher authorities being reared alien to the reality of their needs and sufferings. I say, “when we truly desire to be kind to others, we flow genuinely — unruly like a river with an uncontrollable currents.” Because more importantly, kindness is something spontaneous — not ruled-bound; unless the world sees it this way, things wouldn’t really radically change! I have explained it long enough and I am afraid to be so lengthy; I long to say this before I even began elaborating but I do become so wordy, anyway!
“THESE COMMUNITY PANTRIES IS NOT ONE’S ALLIEGENCE TO COMMUNISM, INSTEAD THEY ARE A RADICAL SIGN OF INITIATIVE AND REAL ACTION!”
When does mutual aids like the creation of community pantries becomes right or wrong?
In the recent news report, the issue surfaces that the community pantries shall face closure if it fails to implement and follow the covid’19 health and safety protocols; and if its organizers falter to coordinate with the local government units (LGU’s). The coordination of the organizers and LGU’s is said to strongly ensure the citizens’ safety, peace and order — axiomatically this brought the manpower and authority of the Philippine National Police to advocate such aim. Indeed, this happens! This aim of coordination is great.
But I would reiterate that helping others need not any permit. This act is something natural in us, springing out for others and isn’t something founded formally from any legal or lawful formalities.
Yet since the community pantries continue to gain prominence and its daily updates are televised and broadcasted online, it causes the formation of mass gatherings which eventually leads to the violation of the covid’19 precautionary measures as tendencies like observing social distancing can hardly be executed. We’ve questioned earlier that, “what if in the existence of the community pantries itself things had gone wrong?” or “is it in itself bad?” since the accusations deemed it to be really heinous.
But I strongly assert that neither of these community pantries are in itself bad nor its organizers’ intentions. It is in itself right for an ultimate reason that it is favorable to the needy and hungry.
It is the manifest function by Non and to the whole team that the creation of these community pantries should feed people and somehow meet their needs in its little yet valuable way. But in the process of its progression where a lot of people heard of this help and a lot more are willing to as well help — and just strengthen the cycle, the latent function started to occur. The organizers themselves didn’t imagine in advance that the humbling Maginhawa Pantry will bomb the whole nation both in the positive and negative ways (red-tagging, personal threats, violation of the precautionary protocols). But this doesn’t make them bad nor their intentions in the first place. These latent function is yet to become a dysfunction, if and only if there are reported cases of infected covid’19 individuals who happen to be in any of the venues. Moreover, I do not imply that even if this communal activities did not see through everything yet and its latent functions — I do not imply that they’ve gone wrong, instead this action is yet to become wrong if it in itself can contribute to the rapidly increasing covid’19 cases in the country.
IT IS NEVER TOO LATE YET!
The community pantries were already strengthened, although its existence reflects a myriad of interpretations of how resilient and wretched we are as a community at the same time in this crisis. I believe and continue to hold on to the ranging reality that it is never too late yet!
It is never too late to strengthen the said coordination of both the LGU’s and the pantry organizers. But while these legal processes of the law partake with the movement, these are not meant to limit us in being radical in small ways as like having a community pantries in our neighborhoods. I would say, this is the power of a collective community.
REFERENCES
Red-tagging video links:
QCPD yet to explain red tagging of Maginhawa community pantry — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajTHaPold14&t=467s
Maginhawa community pantry halts operations over red-tagging fears — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99ipFh57_nQ&t=43s
PNP chief: Probe cops’ red-tagging of community pantry organizers — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS2_3LnTYp8&t=83s
DILG Usec Martin Diño on community pantry permits — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bD1QQsakurE
Red-tagging & Related Reports:
Groups slam ‘dangerous’ red-tagging of community pantries — https://www.rappler.com/nation/groups-statements-red-tagging-community-pantries
Only days into operation, community pantries now face red-tagging — https://www.rappler.com/nation/community-pantries-face-red-tagging-april-2021
Permit needed for community pantries to ensure safety, security — DILG exec — https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1421342/permit-needed-or-community-pantries-to-ensure-safety-security-dilg-exec
Community pantries face closure if health protocols are violated — DILG-https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1424188/fwd-dilg-chief-community-pantries-risk-closure-if-health-protocols-not-followed
