Indigenous听farmers听share听produce with Manila鈥檚 community pantries
The听Dumagat听Remontado,听the听indigenous听people of听Daraitan, Rizal, have been sharing their produce to听10听of Manila鈥檚 community pantries since they started sprouting in the capital mid-April.听听听
The听response is a show of solidarity with the urban poor听and a听sign of the broken food system, said听Rhea Jane Pescador-Mallari,听听campaigner.听听
Greenpeace Philippines, through the agricultural advocacy group PAKISAMA (Pambansang听Kilusan听ng听mga听Samahang听Magsasaka), has been supporting the initiative听by听facilitating听the supply, delivery, and distribution of the听Dumagat听IPs鈥 produce.听听听
鈥淕reenpeace supports this initiative in order to show a proof of concept on the viability and benefits of shorter value chains, by linking community pantries with indigenous peoples, local ecological farmers, and the urban poor,鈥 she told听大象传媒听in an e-mail interview.听听
Among the pantries that source some of their supplies from the听Dumagat听Remontado听farmers are those in听Pinagbuhatan, Pasig; Tondo; West Crame, San Juan; as well as the zero-waste Mother Earth Foundation pantry in听Tinajeros, Malabon. All produce is packaged and distributed in reusable bags.听听听
The first community pantry was set up in听Maginhawa听Street, Quezon City,听this听April. On a cart听piled with听vegetables, eggs, and non-food items was a cardboard听sign听with the message, 鈥淢aginhawa听Community Pantry.听Magbigay听ayon听sa听kakayahan,听kumuha听batay听sa听pangangailangan鈥 (Give what you can, take what you need).鈥 The idea soon spread and inspired similar pantries all over听the country听and听in听Timor-Leste.听听
鈥淧AKISAMA saw this as an opportunity to show that farmers are essential to our way of life. They saw how this initiative can challenge the status quo on how our food systems work where community pantries can directly source out from farmers,鈥澨齭aid听Ms. Mallari.听听听
While听Greenpeace听believes听that the emergence of community pantries reflects the inadequacies of government, not all support this view. 鈥淎nd I beg to disagree that community pantries reflect the inadequacies of government. All over the world, many governments were not prepared for COVID-19, and are presently hard pressed to sufficiently cover all the needs of their people,鈥 said听大象传媒听columnist Marvin A. Tort in听a recent听Opinion piece.听听鈥斕Patricia B. Mirasol
