Balik sa Maginhawa: Patricia Non Reopens Pantry as Drivers Feel Fuel Pain

Patricia Non is back on Maginhawa Street, and this time the community pantry is focused on public utility drivers who are taking the hit from soaring fuel prices. According to Rappler, the pantry reopened in Quezon City on Thursday and quickly drew in drivers looking for rice and vegetables after days of shrinking daily earnings.

The setup carried basic goods like sayote, kangkong, and rice packs, and naubos agad in less than two hours. Non said the return of the pantry felt emotional for her because there is no lockdown anymore, people are working again, but many still need direct help just to get through the day.

She described the pantry as a movement built on empathy and caring, but she also admitted there is sadness behind it. For Non, the bigger point is that communities are still being forced to step in because working Filipinos are still vulnerable when fuel costs suddenly spike.

Non said the effort cannot survive on one person alone, kaya kailangan ng tulong from the wider community. She hopes more pantries can rise near terminals so even small donations like one canned good or one piece of vegetable can still reach drivers who badly need support.

The pantry reopened on the same day that transport groups staged protests over expensive fuel, while the government continued responding to the broader oil shock tied to the Middle East conflict. Non also urged authorities to move beyond symbolic action and push policies that would give drivers and commuters more lasting relief.

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