Beyond relief: ARMK Davao pushes for dignified, community-led aid
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 30 April) — For the volunteers behind Art Relief Mobile Kitchen (ARMK) Davao, feeding people is less about providing relief, than about how that relief is given, and whether it responds to the realities of the communities it serves.
In recent initiatives across the city, including community pantries for drivers affected by rising fuel costs, ARMK Davao has continued its approach of serving freshly cooked meals rather than pre-packed goods. But behind each meal is a process shaped by limited resources, collective effort, and a deliberate shift away from the one-size-fits-all approach.
“We really see how unequal the distribution of relief is, and how undignified it can be — even from the government,” said Angely Chi, chapter head of ARMK Davao. “We need something more dignified, more nutritious, more holistic care.”
Cooking in context
Where most relief efforts follow a fixed menu, according to Chi, ARMK’s work begins with a set of considerations: what ingredients are available, what the members of the communities actually eat, and what would be most nourishing.
Menus are often adjusted based on donations and partnerships with local farms, with organizers increasingly leaning toward plant-based meals due to rising food costs.
“Ngayon, parang mas intentional na vegetarian tayo, kasi, isa din, mahal na ang karne,” Chi said, noting how the rising cost of basic goods has shaped their approach.
But beyond cost, ARMK emphasizes cultural and contextual sensitivity in the food it prepares.
In previous missions, volunteers learned that not all communities respond to the same meals.
“Parang masyadong` uniform ’yong aid na binibigay. So, I think for us, sa ARMK, we really appreciate ’yong reality context,” said Kharla Acosta, a core team member of ARMK Davao. “So, for example, ’yong sa ground, going back sa pandemic, ’yong Badjao community, you cannot give them full-meat rice and gulay, kasi that’s not their diet.”
She then described how, for the coastal Badjao community, fresh fish and cassava were preferred over standard relief fare; meanwhile, in Dinagat, in the wake of typhoons Odette and Paeng, local variations of dishes like binignit, lugaw, and arroz caldo also required adjustments in preparation.
During their recent community pantry last April 21, organized for tricycle drivers, PUJ and PUV drivers, and delivery riders amid fuel price hikes, these considerations and adjustments included preparing wholesome, healthy, and complete meals.
“Marami naman sa kanila [drivers] are experiencing mga high blood pressure, mga gano’n. So, health concerns din,” Chi said.
“That’s why … ’yong iniisip din namin, mag-serve ng healthier meals. Like ’yong sa rice, mixed grains, tapos mayroon nang mais, mais na bigas, na well-cooked, na hindi matigas,” she added.
“Tsaka mas nakakabusog siya. And then … ’yong pancit … meron talagang gulay, so kumpleto fibers and proteins. Ganun yung iniisip namin na masarap siya, pero masustansya.”
“We really have to understand, ano ’yong pangangailangan ng katawan ng tinutulungan mo,” Acosta explained.
Sustaining aid through relationships
For ARMK, sustainability is about maintaining relationships.
The group works closely with partners such as the Matina Community Pantry, Konsensya Dabaw, and other local organizations and individuals, pooling resources and networks to expand their reach. This collective approach allows them to respond more effectively, especially in areas where aid does not always arrive.
“Mas importante i-sustain ’yong relationships,” Chi said, emphasizing that their work is rooted in cooperation between groups and individuals with shared visions.
She explained that in entering an area, the community volunteers help them identify where help is most needed “kasi may mga lugar na hindi nakakapasok ’yong aid,” she said, pointing to gaps in aid distribution where some communities remain underserved.
This approach also extends to involving local residents directly in the process, from identifying needs to cooking and distributing food.
Over time, ARMK Davao’s work has begun to shift beyond immediate disaster response, and towards longer-term, community-based initiatives.
This includes partnerships with local farmers, promoting food sustainability, and exploring ways to support communities after relief efforts end, such as providing seedlings to help rebuild food sources.
“We have to do the work, to work with the environment,” Chi said, noting how disasters are often linked to environmental conditions and human activity.
In some areas, ARMK Davao has also left behind equipment and resources, according to Acosta, so communities can start their own kitchens, allowing them to respond independently when needed.
“They don’t have to be ARMK,” said Chi. “They can do their own community kitchen.”
Carrying the work forward
More than a decade since Alex Baluyut and Precious Leaño began ARMK as a volunteer effort responding to disaster, the organization continues to evolve, with local chapters like Davao adapting its work to changing conditions on the ground.
ARMK Davao’s next initiative is already underway. On Friday, May 1, the group and its partners will hold a Labor Day community cookout in Toril, Davao City, honoring PUV drivers, tricycle drivers, and delivery riders.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, April 28, the activity called for volunteers and donation, continuing the network of support that underpins ARMK Davao’s work. (Bea Gatmaytan / MindaNews)
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