DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/6 April)— Under the Monday morning sun, a small group of women and young volunteers gathered outside the CVA Building along J.P. Laurel Avenue and began preparing packed goods to distribute to drivers on their morning pasada.
The initiative, organized by the Matina Community Pantry (MCP) in collaboration with Konsyensya Dabaw (KD), aimed to assist drivers struggling with soaring oil prices.
The women and young volunteers each filled packs containing three kilograms of rice, boiled eggs, and suman and the initiative quickly drew attention, with some drivers even crossing from the opposite side of the road.
Within an hour and a half, the packs had run out.
“We meant it for jeepney drivers,” said MCP founder Malu Abella, ”because we heard that the tricycle drivers were already given a subsidy from DSWD.”
Abella said jeepney drivers were among those most affected by the fuel price hikes.
“When we had interviews … with jeepney drivers and tricycle drivers, they said that what their family needed most was rice,” Abella said.
“Before, they used to earn ₱600 to ₱1,000 a day for 16 hours of unit duty. Then when the gas price went up, it went down to ₱300, sometimes ₱150. They don’t have money to bring home for the family. So what they really need most is rice,” she said.
Through contributions, a total of 315 rice packs were distributed. The eggs and suman were sourced through donations.
For her part, KD spokesperson Mags Maglana said the collaboration between MCP and KD was driven by a shared goal: to provide immediate relief while calling for broader, long-term solutions.
“We really want to call attention to the reality that it cannot be business as usual anymore,” she said.
“What we need is a suite of solutions to help our people during this particularly difficult time,” she said.
“Konsyensya Dabaw is a civil society initiative,” she said. “Kung ang mamamayan nga, civil society nga, kumikilos, dapat ang gobyerno din … both national government and local government (If civil society is acting, the government should act as well),” Maglana said.
“There must be leadership,” she continued. “Ano naman ang messages na manggagaling mula sa local government? Ano naman ang manggagaling mula sa Congress? Ano naman mula sa national executive? (What messages are coming from the local government, from Congress, from the national executive),” she said.
Maglana described the pantry as “a very small but very tangible effort — a signal of our readiness to help, and also a challenge to different political actors.”
While acknowledging that such initiatives offer only short-term responses, Maglana said they hope it might serve as “a step in the right direction,” that these efforts can push for structural solutions, including policy reforms.
“This all started when government decided to pursue the path of deregulation,” she said, referring to the oil price deregulation law that removed the state’s authority to regulate fuel prices.
She also cited calls on the government to suspend excise taxes on fuel to ease rising costs.
“Mga kaguluhan internationally na nararamdaman, tagos talaga sa mamamayan (International conflicts are deeply felt, cutting through to ordinary citizens),” Maglana said.
If disruptions at the global level can so immediately affect everyday life, then solutions from governing bodies — both national and local — can likewise have a significant impact.
In the meantime, however, communities are stepping in. In a Facebook post on Monday, March 30, the Matina Community Pantry called for donations in cash or in kind to help sustain the initiative.
Maglana shared that they intend to continue the effort, but acknowledged the need to raise funds. Even ₱60, she said, can already help — equivalent to a kilogram of rice or six eggs. “It doesn’t have to be big — you can donate rice, vegetables, cooked food,” she said in a mix of English and Filipino. (Bea Gatmaytan/ MindaNews)
