Balik Maginhawa: Patricia Non Revives Pantry for Drivers Hit by Fuel Pain

Patricia Non has brought back the Maginhawa community pantry, this time to help public utility drivers struggling with the sharp rise in fuel prices.

Rappler reported that the pantry was set up again on March 26 along Maginhawa Street in Quezon City, stocked with vegetables like sayote and kangkong plus packs of rice. The supplies were gone in less than two hours as drivers quickly lined up for help.

Non said the comeback felt emotional because unlike in 2021, there is no lockdown now and people are already working again. But even with daily life moving, she said it is still painful to see that many drivers need community support just to get by.

She described the pantry as a movement rooted in empathy and caring, and said more people are now stepping up to help. Non also urged communities around terminals to pitch in kahit paisa-isang delata or gulay so more drivers can get assistance.

Beyond volunteer help, Non called on the government to roll out policies that would ease the burden on drivers and commuters. The pantry’s return happened on the same day that transport groups staged a strike while the Marcos administration grappled with soaring oil prices and a declared national energy emergency.

Source: https://www.rappler.com/philippines/community-pantry-returns-drivers-oil-price-hike/