The business of restaurants, including the coverage of it, the food scene, etc., can be such an exercise in excess and indulgence that when an opportunity to shed a light into the reverse side of that coin—hunger, specifically malnutrition in a country like the Philippines—people are willingly on board. Some people in the business of food already do it on their own. COOK Magazine’s columnist and food/lifestyle personality Sabrina Artadi has a weekly feeding program she put together herself. But the organization and logistics of it can still be intimidating to others. Chiqui Mabanta of Corner Tree Cafe, a vegetarian restaurant, said in her talk that echoes those concerns, “We want to help, but we don’t know how.” A campaign called Restaurants Against Hunger makes it easier for restaurants and diners to do just that.
This campaign is an international initiative promoted by Action Against Hunger. It unites chefs, restaurant owners and foodies to channel their passion for food into life-saving impact against hunger and malnutrition. More than a hundred restaurants in the Philippines have participated since the campaign was launched. The main goal is to increase awareness and raise funds, and they’ve successfully raised several million from the last two years alone. It is important to note that, while this is an international organization, the money raised in the Philippine campaign of Restaurants Against Hunger will be used to fund projects in the Philippines.
Restaurants just need to choose a dish or two or more—there really is no limit—and portions of the proceeds from the sale of the dish/es is pledged to the campaign. There is no minimum and maximum amount; it is up to the owners how much of the dish will go to the cause. Restaurant owners and food businesses who wish to participate can simply log in and register online at https://www.restaurantsagainsthungerphilippines.org. All the materials needed for the campaign will be provided for by the organization, such as posters, tabletops and even information for staff. The dishes will be labeled “these dishes feed more.” The campaign will run for just two months, from October 1 to December 1, 2018.
Asked why the Restaurants Against Hunger campaign doesn’t run longer and why it just stops just short of the holiday festivities, Action Against Hunger Fundraising and Resource Development Manager Dale Nelson Divinagracia said, “We want to make it special. We want to create buzz and make it the same time every year. In December you get lost in the other charity campaigns.”
For more information on the campaign and a complete list of restaurants, visit their web site https://www.restaurantsagainsthungerphilippines.org.