San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora on Tuesday, April 21, thanked and welcomed individuals who have opened their own community pantries in the city to help the less fortunate amid the ongoing Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) in Metro Manila.
"We welcome the opening of community pantries in San Juan. It's always nice to see people with more blessings sharing to those who are less fortunate." Zamora said.
"This is the bayanihan spirit of the Filipino people at work." he added.
One of the city's community pantries is the Barangay Ermitaño free store and is regarded as one of the first community pantries in San Juan following the success of the Maginhawa community pantry in Quezon City.
The initiative was spearheaded by the barangay council led by Barangay Chairman Romeo Nabong which aims to help individuals adversely affected by the pandemic.
"Isang uri ito ng “cash-for-work” program kung saan tinutulungan ang mga indigents na mamamayan ng barangay upang magkaroon ng mga grocery items kapalit ng pagtulong at pagbibigay serbisyo sa Brgy. Ermitaño—gaya ng pagwawalis sa kalsada, paglilinis ng sariling bakuran, pagdalo sa mga miting sa barangay at iba pang mga mahahalagang aktibidad ng barangay (It is a kind of "cash-for-work" program wherein indigents are helped to have grocery items in exchange for community service in Barangay Ermitaño such as sweeping the street, cleaning of the backyard, attending barangay meetings, and other important activities in the barangay)." the local government said.
"Ang bawat pakikiisa at serbisyo sa mahahalagang gawain ay may katumbas na points. Ang mga naipong points ang siya namang gagamitin para makakuha ng grocery items sa free store (Every community service is equivalent to points which will be used to receive the grocery items)." it added.
As of Tuesday, April 20, there are 196 community pantries all over Metro Manila and other provinces.