Several bikers groups have joined forces to pick up essential goods from donors and drop them off at community pantries to make bayanihan during the pandemic faster and easier, one of their organizers said.
Bikers group Mobile in MNL, together with White Helmet Co., DCG Cycling, Manila.commuter and Cycling Matters created the network to address the fears of donors who want to help out without leaving their homes.
"My friends and I thought the community pantries were a great idea, and we entertained ideas of opening our own. Then we realized a lot of people wanted to help out, but didn't know where/how to send their donations to all the pantries that have popped up around the metro," the Facebook page administrator of Mobile in MNL told reportr on Tuesday.
"When it wasn't MECQ, we biked together every weekend, so we thought that 'Hey, we can carry stuff. We can transport things. Let's do this."
Some 30 cyclists pedal in the sweltering Metro Manila heat, with some going as far north as Loyola in Quezon City, and reaching Sun Valley in Parañaque in the south. A Google Earth interactive map marks the open pantries they visited.
Their riders undergo strict vetting to ensure that the goods arrive to the destination safely.
"The last thing we want is to have riders run away with the donations, even if they're not monetary."
Which open pantries are on their radar?
Mobile in MNL relies on a database of open pantries in Metro Manila with a verified contact number before they drop off the goods. The group also has a Google form where community pantry initiators who are looking for donors can send requests for aid.
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However, they blacklist open pantries that are suspicious, "overly policed" by local official or are used for political campaigns.
How can you send your donations?
Donors are asked to fill out a form where they are asked to declare the goods they plan to send. The group accepts:
- 3-in-1 coffee
- cookies or crackers
- rice not heavier than 500g per bag
- instant noodles
- pull-tab canned goods
- diapers
- sanitary napkins
After accomplishing the form, donors will receive the delivery address where they can send the items. They are asked to text the group before sending their donations for confirmation.
Mobile in MNL will centralize donations until May 8, and would start delivering the goods across Metro Manila on May 1 and May 10.
Those who sent donations would also receive an email with updates on where the goods were delivered.
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