The companies and employees of the MVP Group have come together to support the countrywide movement of community pantries.
Aid in the form of rice, produce, and other dried goods were mobilized by the group to initially benefit over 8,000 individuals and their families through select pantries that have been set-up across Metro Manila.
Speaking for one of the communities assisted by the MVP Group, barangay captain Joseph Mahusay of Pansol, Quezon City said around 5,000 families have benefited from the 10 community pantries near their area.
“Most of the people lining up in community pantries are Barangay Pansol residents. We have also noticed that in some community pantries, residents from neighboring barangays such as Barangay Loyola Heights, Barangay Krus na Ligas and Barangay UP Campus also joined the line,” said Mahusay.
He said the barangay periodically does food pack distribution to underserved communities.
“At the onset of the pandemic last year, the barangay distributed relief packs to all of our constituents, followed by the city government,” Mahusay said.
Over at Balara also in Quezon City, employees of MVP Group’s Maynilad mobilized resources to support the five-day pantry of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, the government agency in charge of water privatization in Metro Manila in the Philippines.
“The community pantry has helped us somehow,” said Barangay Pansol resident Elena Medina.
Meanwhile, the Alagang Kapatid Foundation, together with PLDT, organized a community-pantry-on-wheels at Tondo, Manila and in Navotas, providing fresh vegetables, cleaning solutions, over-the-counter medicines, school supplies and toys to members of the community.
At the LRT-1 Monumento Station, the Light Rail Manila Corporation set-up an LRT-1 community pantry offering canned goods, vegetables, dry goods, and face shields. Initial donations came from LRMC employees and friends, which eventually increased with the support of passengers and other partners.
Water, dried goods, and farm produce sourced from the #BuyLocal Farm-to-Pantry program of another MVP-led company, Smart Communications Inc. (Smart), benefited about 1000 individuals.
One Meralco Foundation also provided rice, assorted vegetables, and dried goods to select community pantries in Bulacan, Caloocan, Cavite, Manila, Muntinlupa, Navotas and Pasig City.
The PLDT-Smart Foundation provided eggs and dried goods to select pantries in Caloocan, Malabon, Manila, Navotas, Novaliches and Pasig.
All these efforts were made possible by Tulong Kapatid, the consortium of the foundations, companies and affiliates led by businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan.