For families watching over loved ones at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), a hot meal can offer a moment of comfort amid the uncertainty of a hospital stay.
That was the purpose behind a volunteer effort that served more than 2,000 beneficiaries, bringing together Mang Inasal employees, Jollibee Group Foundation (JGF), and hunger relief nonprofit Kawa Pilipinas.
Around 40 employees, led by Mang Inasal President Mike V. Castro, joined volunteers at Kawa Pilipinas’ community kitchen in Malate, Manila, to prepare and distribute meals for patients’ families.
The activity brought the restaurant team’s spirit of service beyond its stores and into a community where a daily necessity can become an added burden.
“At Mang Inasal, serving food has always been about more than satisfying hunger. It is about bringing people together, making our families and friends feel that they are cared for, and ultimately, making a positive difference in the communities we serve,” Castro said.
“Through our partnership with Kawa Pilipinas, through the JGF, we can extend that purpose beyond our stores and allow our employees to live out the values of malasakit and service.”
JGF facilitated the volunteer activity through its partnership with Kawa Pilipinas under Jollibee Group FoodAID. The foundation provided ready-to-cook chicken guisado, while Mang Inasal donated the rice served with the meals.
For Kawa Pilipinas, every meal is rooted in a simple belief about the people it serves.
“We call them our ‘beloveds,’ using food as our love language,” said founder and chair Mae Paner.
Established during the pandemic, Kawa Pilipinas has served nearly 750,000 meals since August 2020. Its grassroots volunteer network reaches homeless individuals, urban poor communities, children and elderly persons with special needs, persons deprived of liberty, and disaster survivors.
Paner also recognized the energy and dedication of the Mang Inasal volunteers, whose participation reflected the company’s values of being Masayahin, Mapagmalasakit, Mahusay, and Buong ang Loob.
At PGH, that shared commitment took a tangible form: freshly prepared meals for families focused on caring for someone else.
