More than 75 fishermen were given assistance in the middle of the sea in Balatan, Camarines Sur in the “floating community pantry” launched by Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) personnel in the province.
According to Lt. Ailene Abanilla, commander of the PCG in Camarines Sur said they thought of delivering food to the fishermen because they stopped fishing for several days due to Typhoon Bising.
The pandemic also allegedly affected the livelihoods of fishermen.
Among those distributed to fishermen were rice, eggs, vegetables, canned goods, and noodles.
It was the Coast Guard members themselves who contributed to the aid. They also allegedly received donations from private individuals and groups.
According to Abanilla, they will also provide assistance to other fishermen in the province in the coming days.
The Coast Guard’s initiative is inspired by the community pantry movement, where Filipinos provide food and other basic commodities for free to those in need.
‘Floating community pantry’ launched in middle of sea in CamSur
It started on Maginhawa Street in Quezon City until hundreds of pantries sprang up in other parts of the country.
Meanwhile, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. issued a gag order against 2 spokespersons of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) for them not to give statements related to community pantries.
NTF-ELCAC spokespersons Lt. General Antonio Parlade Jr. and Lorraine Badoy received criticisms for allegedly red-tagging or linking people behind community pantries to communist rebels.
“Lest it be misunderstood, they will desist (from) making statements on community pantries,” said Esperon, the vice-chair of NTF-ELCAC.
Recently, the social media page of the NTF-ELCAC and Quezon City Police District (QCPD) posted an accusation that the organizer of Maginhawa Community Pantry, Ana Patricia Non, was a member of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army.
Badoy also said that donors should find out where the help or money they give to community pantries goes.
Parlade also called the senators stupid over the proposal to strip the NTF-ELCAC of the budget.
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