By: Leanne Mae Balahadia & Kate Ledesma
“WE DON’T HAVE ANY FOOD LEFT”. A sob escaped from Martina as she stared at the small container of their budgeted supply for a month. Martina, like the rest of the Cavitenos, has been grieving the loss of her work since the outbreak of the pandemic. This challenge is exacerbated by the fact that her three children sleep on an empty stomach.
Martina's only hope is to wait and seek for financial or food-pack assistance from fellow citizens who are willing to help. This simple act of helping individuals who need assistance to get through the day gives people like Martina another reason to live. The one-pack of canned goods, kilo of rice, coffee and milk, and other necessities serves as a symbol of how we are all resisting the pandemic in our own way.
Our nationalistic hearts are gratified by a domino effect of humanity spreading through social media. The line "Kumuha batay sa pangangailangan, magbigay ayon sa kakayahan" was started by Ana Patricia Non, the organizer of MAGINHAWA COMMUNITY PANTRY. As we stand by our value of "BAYANIHAN" this community drive earned thousands of expressions of gratitude, encouragement, and admiration.
Contagious like the virus, multiple organizations and groups started to operate their own community pantry in their respective areas. Cavite is not disconnected in showcasing this act of humanity. Several community pantries are now established in Brgy. F. De Castro led by the Sanggunian ng Kabataan in General Trias, Cavite City, Brgy. Zone 4 and ARMY Cavite Fanbase in the City of Dasmarinas.
This is the reason why humanity is more contagious than any virus. We are gracious enough to take just what we need and to share what we have. Thankfully, because of our mankind stories, people like Martina can never lose sight of why they need to live. We can rise above this pandemic because we are Cavitenos, and we are Filipinos.
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