Nothing more brightens up the sense of community and togetherness during this time of hardship than the Filipinos igniting their spirit of bayanihan and their sense of bisita hospitality culture.
On March 15, 2020, the nation experienced its first day of community quarantine to prevent the spread of the life-threatening COVID-19 virus within Metro Manila and the rest of the country.¹
After the government’s implementation of the quarantine, problems began to arise when many Filipinos were facing financial problems as companies and institutions were shut down to lessen the spread and to flatten the curve. Basic daily needs like food, medicines, and protective equipment were difficult to acquire due to the lack of financial support from their jobs and the strict “stay-at-home” regulations. Even the modern-day heroes working and sacrificing at the frontlines were in need of sustenance in order to have enough energy to work every day.
Five days after the implementation of the community quarantine, the Tapa King team decided to go the extra mile by lending a helping hand to many different Filipino communities, families, and frontliners who were greatly affected during this time of crisis. With the help of our sponsors, volunteers and delivery drivers at Tapa King, we were able to successfully produce and distribute more than 50,000 food packs within Metro Manila and in Davao City. These ready-to-eat meals were delivered to many different cities, small communities, local government units, and frontliners (including medical workers and security officers). Many positive feedbacks were received from donation recipients and from social media users who expressed their gratefulness and appreciation on our Facebook page. These acts of service and gratitude reminds us of our promise at Tapa King.
We, Filipinos, are very known not only for our spirit of bayanihan, but also for being very generous and hospitable especially when it comes to our bisita. Here at Tapa King, we want to deliver our promise of treating our guests as our bisita by giving them the best service that we can possibly provide. Times like these give us an opportunity to fulfill this promise by providing assistance to those who are in need, even if it just takes one meal at a time. Despite these trying times, it is through these acts of kindness that we can spark hope and joy for others. And for us, this is truly one of the best services that we can offer for our fellow bisita.
Reference:
- Esguerra, D. (2020, March 12). Metro Manila placed under 'community quarantine' due to COVID-19. Retrieved July 07, 2020, from https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1240942/breaking-metro-manila-placed-under-community-quarantine-due-to-covid-19
