NCR mayors urge community pantry organizers to coordinate with LGUs first
MANILA, Philippines — Organizers of community pantries were urged to coordinate with their local governments first "in order to ensure the proper observance of COVID-19 protocols," Metro Manila mayors said.
In a statement issued Saturday night, the Metro Manila Council disclosed that its Resolution No. 21-08 Series of 2021 "lauding the Filipino spirit of bayanihan as community pantries emerge" was unanimously approved by all the local chief executives of Metro Manila on Friday.
Community pantries, where people can get or donate goods, have sprouted one after the other all over the country during the past week. Reports of harassment and intimidation from police personnel at some of the sites followed closely behind.
"While the organizers of community pantries exemplify collective charity and concern for the plight of the underprivileged and are truly worthy of emulation, support, and praise, the primordial minimum public health standards under the prevailing community quarantine must remain paramount," the resolution said.
"The sacrifices endured and gains accumulated during the ECQ and MECQ must not be put to waste by a disregard of the prohibition on mass gatherings, observance of social distancing, and the wearing of face masks and face shields."
READ: QC gov't to pay for burial of man who died at community pantry
This comes after a 67-year-old died after he fainted while waiting for his turn at a community pantry set up by actress Angel Locsin. Locsin has apologized for the incident and got in touch with the family shortly after the incident.
The resolution pointed to the downward trend two-week growth rate of COVID-19, which lowered to -5% from late March to mid-April from 164% from February to March.
Mayors in the capital region have already signalled their support for the pantries. Though many have said that permits are not required, they also urge pantries to coordinate with them and observe minimum health protocols.
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chair Benhur Abalos, who is also chair of the MMC, said advance coordination would allow LGUs to set up measures to ensure the observance of physical distancing and other public health protocols in community pantries.
READ: LIST: Local governments throw support behind community pantries
"As the community pantries intend to extend assistance to our kababayans, let us be reminded that aside from giving food at this time, one of the noblest kind of help is making sure that they are not at risk of acquiring the virus which, at worst, can cost their lives," he said.
"What they're doing is laudable, and when it comes to the spirit of bayanihan, I'm personally all for it," he also told Philstar.com earlier Thursday.
The MMDA chair also reminded persons aged 17 below and senior citizens aged 65 and older to stay at home, as stipulated in the guidelines of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases.
QC gov't urges residents to get tested after going to community pantries
In a separate statement, the Quezon City local government encouraged residents and fans of Locsin who went to the community pantry to avail of the city’s free swab testing service.
“We cannot rule out the possibility of infection due to the large number of attendees. It is good to make sure that we do not infect our family and community members,” said Dr. Rolando Cruz, chief of the Quezon City Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Unit.
The city government has since rolled out guidelines for organizing community pantries in the locality, which outline curfew hours, health protocols, and item limits per person, among others.
“If a pantry organizer opted not to coordinate the concerned barangay, the pantry organizer may be deemed to have assumed sole responsibility for any incidents arising from pantry operations,” the guidelines read.
No permits are required to set up a community pantry in the city, but those who do want to organize one are “strongly encouraged” to inform in writing and coordinate with the barangay where the pantry would be located.
According to the mapmaking page Saan Yan PH on Facebook, at least 358 community pantries have already been mapped around the country as of this post.
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