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Josiah Antonio - The Philippine Star
March 30, 2026 | 12:00am
Photo shows a community pantry at the corner of Maginhawa and Magiting streets in Quezon City.
Photo courtesy of Ana Patricia Non
MANILA, Philippines — With the looming effects of the Middle East crisis, Filipinos again lean on community pantries to help each other and ease their burdens.
Ana Patricia Non, the person behind the Maginhawa Community Pantry during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, felt the need to put up a stall again to help public utility vehicle drivers and operators in need.
“I can’t stand it that there are people, that there is a sector that is super affected, they are having a hard time so they are forced to stop their operations,” Non told The STAR in an interview over the weekend.
“What’s the point in continuing their operations if they are not earning anymore, and they are even in debt,” she added.
When Non called the team that she will put up a pantry again, they did not hesitate to put up their own pantries in their own communities.
“I just texted the team that I will put up a pantry and the night before, we were ready. It wasn’t complicated, there was no overthinking. It was just fast because many people said that they were also ready,” Non said.
“It’s better that people are getting from the pantry. As much as we can provide, let’s give,” she said.
Non is happy that she is not alone in spreading the message of hope and kindness through their initiative.
“It is reassuring that there are a lot of people in the team, I am no longer that lone kid in Maginhawa because we have a lot of pantries nationwide,” she said.
Non stressed how the community pantry is also a call for the government to take action especially in times of crisis.
“I hope that the government will be more grounded. There are a lot of policies on prices in goods and basic commodities without considering how ordinary people would be affected,” she added.
Non said that community pantries will always be there to help and will serve as their way to hold those in power accountable.
“For us, to demand accountability and responsibility to the government can go hand in hand with helping others because we want to empower each other,” she said.
