Tragedy brings out the good in everyone. A number of culinary schools, hotels and restaurants, bakeshops, and even foodies, restaurateurs, chefs and their staff have sprung into action to try to help ease the burden of Filipinos in the Visayas in the aftermath of “Yolanda.”

 

Some groups have donated cash or solicited cash donations, while others have taken the initiative to collect food items such as canned goods, biscuits, noodles, rice and clothing materials, to be given to relief organizations and the Philippine Red Cross.

 

Drop-off points

 

Enderun Colleges has organized a community drive, with its campus in Bonifacio Global City serving as drop-off point for donations. It’s open 24 hours and accepts canned goods, medicines, clothes, blankets, slippers and other nonperishable items.

 

The school is coordinating with the Armed Forces of the Philippines and some parents of Enderun students who are heading toward Leyte and Bohol to bring relief and aid. Its first batch of relief goods was sent last Monday.

 

This drive will run for at least a month.

 

Pledges

 

The Center for Culinary Arts, Manila, is extending help to the victims in Ormoc City, with each CCA student pledging to donate five of any of the following items: cooked food in tetra packs, canned goods with lift tabs, bottled water, biscuits, old clothes and blankets.

 

Donations are being accepted in the Student Affairs office.

 

CCA is also holding a fundraising activity to mark its 17th anniversary called “Clash of the Clans, a culinary cup” on Nov. 22 at CCA Oceana. A select group of celebrity chefs will stand in a photo booth and have their photos taken with about a thousand expected students and guests, then sign photos for a fee of P100.

All proceeds will be donated to the typhoon victims.

 

Instead of holding its annual Christmas Ball on Dec. 6, CCA students, faculty and staff will donate food and clothing and pack relief goods for 2,000 families, and send these to Ormoc through Rep. Lucy Torres.

 

Baked goodies

 

The Goldilocks commissary in Cebu has been operating nonstop ever since a 7.2-magnitude earthquake devastated parts of Cebu and Bohol, to provide bread, toasted products and water directly to evacuation centers.

 

In the wake of Yolanda, the commissary is trying to further increase its capacity by earmarking more products for relief efforts.

 

The Cebu commissary also suffered damage during the typhoon, but employees have continued working in shifts, and have decided to redirect the entire budget for their company anniversary celebration this month to help calamity victims.

 

The various committees organized for the company anniversary celebration have now been assigned to different areas of relief work: medical aid, packing goods, and loading trucks.

 

In Manila, the Goldilocks head office has made a financial contribution to the Philippine Red Cross; its employees have organized themselves to volunteer man-hours at the Red Cross and the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

 

Financial aid

 

Sofitel Philippine Plaza has also become a drop-off point (at the lobby and employee’s entrance) for donations such as canned goods, bottled water, bed sheets, towels, bathroom amenities, clothes and money.

 

The hotel has asked its mother company and sister companies under the Accor Foundation for financial aid through online donations and a voluntary contribution of P250 from hotel guests upon checkout.

 

Spiral restaurant has placed a donation bowl in one corner where diners can drop their cash. Hotel employees are also donating part of their salaries to the relief efforts. All financial aid and relief goods will be turned over to Sagip Kapamilya of ABS-CBN Foundation.

 

Seed fund

 

Mandarin Oriental, Manila, has formed a management committee to oversee concerns relating to relief aid for typhoon Yolanda victims. The primary task is to provide immediate assistance to colleagues and their families who were directly affected by the disaster.

 

A seed fund has been set up, and is open to additional contributions from hotel personnel. The hotel’s donation and collected relief goods will be turned over to the Red Cross.

 

The hotel has also encouraged its staff to volunteer for packing relief goods, both in the hotel and at relief centers. Those wishing to do so will be allowed a half-day’s leave with pay and will be bused to specific relief centers.

 

Hotel guests are also being informed of the Red Cross’ bank details so that they may send their donations directly, if they so wish.

 

Collective efforts

 

Chefs and their staff are also pooling their resources to extend aid to the typhoon victims.

 

Chef Margarita Fores has resumed making relief packs with Operation Tulong Bayan (which started during Typhoon “Ondoy”) at The Commissary at White Space in Makati and Balai in Cubao, QC. The group will send the goods to far-flung municipalities in Iloilo, Samar, Capiz, Leyte and Negros Occidental.

 

Cibo branches have also become drop-off points for relief goods.

 

Chef Miguel de Alba of Alba Restaurant is collaborating with Amy Besa (owner of Purple Yam in New York City) in holding fundraising dinners with other restaurants and chefs. Alba’s company is also donating canned goods and water to organizations involved in relief operations, while staff have collected their tips and donated the pooled amount.

 

The top management of Cyma (nationwide) and Green Pastures, headed by chef Robby Goco, has decided to turn over 100-percent of its sales on Nov. 15, Friday, to the typhoon victims through the Red Cross. Its staff have also decided to donate their service charge on that day.

 

For chef Colin Mckay, cash donations are the most efficient and immediate way of bringing relief to worst-hit areas. Thus, all sales of People’s Palace’s most popular dish, Pomelo Salad, on Nov. 15, Friday, will be given to the Red Cross.

 

For their part, chef Jynette Monteverde and her team have donated more than a truckload of clothes and water, sending them directly to the affected areas since Monteverde’s friends are into the trucking business and renting out helicopters.

 

For chef David Pardo de Ayala of Discovery Suites and his team, extending assistance started in their own backyard, since they have associates whose families were affected by the typhoon. Meanwhile, some hotel guests have canceled their bookings with Club Paradise, Discovery Shores and Discovery Suites and donated the money instead to the relief efforts.

 

Long-term assistance

 

In the case of chef Vicky Pacheco of Sentro and Chateau 1771, her sous chef’s wife lived in Ormoc, Leyte; their house and community were completely wiped out. Pacheco’s group is planning to help directly and looking at long-term assistance like setting up a water purification system in the ravaged city.

 

E-mail the author at [email protected].

 

Drop-off points for donations

 

Enderun Colleges, 1100 Campus Avenue, McKinley Hill, Fort Bonifacio Taguig City

 

Center for Culinary Arts, Manila, 287 Katipunan Avenue, Loyola Heights, Quezon City

 

Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila (lobby and employee’s entrance), CCP Complex, Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City

 

Operation Tulong Bayan: The Commissary at White Space, 2314 Don Chino Roces Avenue Extension, Makati City; and Balay, Cubao, Quezon City.

 

Chef Jynettemarie Monteverde, No. 38 Valencia St., QC.