McDonald’s Kindness Kitchen and Jollibee Group Foundation, in partnership with the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF), distributed ready-to-eat meals to medical frontliners of six COVID-19 referral hospitals in Metro Manila.
For two weeks, the two biggest fast-food chains in the Philippines delivered a total of 6,000 meals to healthcare workers (HCWs) of select hospitals. This initiative aims to support and motivate HCWs as they deal with the latest surge of cases and patients, leading to stress, anxiety, physical exhaustion, and the additional risk of exposure to the virus.
“Our health care frontliners risk their lives every time they go to work. We owe them so much and this project is one small way to repay them,” said PDRF President Butch Meily.
Hospitals included Dr. Jose Natalio Rodriguez Memorial Hospital and Sanitarium (DJNRMHS), Philippine General Hospital, Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, East Avenue Medical Center, Lung Center of the Philippines, and National Kidney and Transplant Institute.
Frontliners expressed their appreciation to the donors. “We’re doing more with your support. Thank you for your donation and helping make a difference,” said DJNRMHS Nurse Carla Pamella Oñes.
PDRF, through Taskforce T3, coordinated the delivery of meals with its logistics partners: UPS, Kairos Cargo Group, Statmed, Lalamove, and Grab.
“Over the course of the pandemic, McDonald’s, through its charity of choice, Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), values partnerships both with public and private sectors. We are grateful for the continued partnership with PDRF that enables us to serve our modern-day heroes. With the logistical and on-ground support, we continue to serve meals from our Kindness Kitchens to medical front liners and volunteers. Together, we serve kindness in any way we can,” said RMHC Philippines Executive Director Marie Angeles.
Last year, during the onset of the pandemic, PDRF provided ready-to-eat meals to 12,000 healthcare workers in 17 institutions for two months. PDRF and its private sector network continue to show support for them through various initiatives.
