Kindness amid chaos: Marikina resto provides free full meals to drivers, delivery riders

Despite also being affected by the fuel crisis, kindness is still on the menu. In Marikina City, a restaurant is serving free full meals to PUV drivers and delivery riders, proving that selflessness and camaraderie remain alive even amid the chaos.

While Chef Jayson Maulit of Trining's Kitchen Stories knows that giving free meals will not solve the bigger problems, it still helps ease the hunger of drivers who often ignore their growling stomachs just to earn enough for fuel and bring home a modest income.

In an interview with the Manila Bulletin, Maulit said that the initiative was created to fill the gap that drivers often choose to ignore for the sake of their families.

"Ginawa rin po natin ngayon itong free meals dahil alam namin na mas makakatulong po yun kahit kaunti man lang para hindi na alalahanin ng mga drivers kung saan nila kukunin yung pangkain nila everyday (We also launched these free meals because we know that, even in a small way, they can help ease the burden, so drivers no longer have to worry about where they will get their food every day)," he said.

"Kadalasan po ng mga riders at drivers na nakakausap namin, mas pipiliin nila na magpagasulina na lang kesa kumain. Eh, tingin po namin medyo mabigat po iyon eh. Kung ang choice mo ay pagkain at gasolina, tapos pinili mo yung gasolina parang kailangan may tumulong na. Meron nang mag-intervene (Most of the riders and drivers we speak with would rather spend their money on fuel than on food. We feel that is a heavy burden to carry. When the choice comes down to food or fuel, and they choose fuel, it shows that someone needs to step in and help)," he shared.

The initiative began on Monday, April 6, with a simple merienda of pancit bihon funded out of their own pocket, before expanding into full meals the next day, as friends and volunteers also pitched in funds to help them prepare more rice meals and a wider variety of dishes for the transport sector.

But even before anyone else stepped in to support the initiative, Maulit said the farmers in Benguet were the first to help, providing free vegetables after learning they would be used to prepare meals for the transport sector.

"Bumili po tayo ng gulay sa mga farmers sa Benguet. Nung nalaman po nila na para sa transport sector yung gagawin natin, tinapatan po nila yung pinurchase na gulay, parang tulong na rin nila (We bought vegetables from farmers in Benguet. When they learned that it was for the transport sector, they matched the amount we purchased, offering their own contribution, effectively doubling our starting resources)," Maulit explained.

In just three days, their initiative had already reached 1,125 beneficiaries.

With the kindness they started, it created ripple effects. On the third day of their distribution, a coffee shop sponsored 100 bottles of coffee.

"May mga friends po in the industry na nagpapadala din ng mga produkto nila para sa mga drivers, so nagkakaroon po siya ng ripple effect ngayon (Some friends in the industry are also sending their products for the drivers, so the initiative is creating a ripple effect)," the chef said.

He added that a poultry company has already pledged chicken and eggs, while a meat supplier has pledged beef, saying it would allow them to provide more meals, enough to sustain the initiative until next week. He clarified, however, that they will continue cooking and serving as long as there are resources available.

"Para po sa mga gustong tumulong, pwede pong mag-reach out sa akin personally through my Facebook page. Pwede pong mag-donate in cash or in kind. Basta meron pong lulutuin, lulutuin namin. Basta may pambili kami ng LPG, magluluto po kami (For those who want to help, you can reach out to me personally through my Facebook page. Donations can be in cash or in kind. As long as there is something to cook, we will cook it. As long as we have funds for LPG, we will keep cooking)."

Trining's Kitchen Stories helps communities in need

Trining's Kitchen Stories was founded during the COVID-19 pandemic to honor the memories and family recipes of Maulit's grandmother, Trining, who passed away during that time.

He added that all the dishes in the restaurant are family recipes, and they want to share their grandmother's life story through their cooking.

During the pandemic, he said there was a gratitude campaign for frontliners, where people could donate and buy food for hospital staff. They cooked and delivered the meals, which made him realize he wanted to pay it forward.

"Nung nagpa-fundraising po tayo ang dami pong mga Pilipino na nagbigay ng donation. Karamihan sa kanila hindi namin kilala, hindi na rin namin makikilala. Pero malinaw po sa akin noon na gusto ko po na makapag-pass it forward din nung kabutihan na nareceive namin from our fellow Filipinos (When we held the fundraising, many Filipinos gave donations. Most of them we did not know and would never meet. But it was clear to me then that I wanted to pay forward the kindness we received from our fellow Filipinos)," he said.

"So nung ginawa ko po yung restaurant, nung tinayo po natin, I think 'yun din po yung naging cooking philosophy namin na (So when I opened the restaurant, I think that also became our cooking philosophy): first, food carries responsibility, and second, the Filipino kitchen is built to serve," he added.

True to their philosophy, he said, whenever there was a calamity, their restaurant would close and become a volunteer kitchen, where they cooked and distributed free meals.

During the 2025 storms, they were able to deliver and provide around 50,812 full meals to evacuation centers across 15 cities in Metro Manila and San Mateo.

'If we can, what stops those who are more capable?'

Maulit said they personally know what it feels like to work while hungry and how hard it is to do a job properly on an empty stomach. He vowed that they would do their best to lift each other, noting that they could not do it alone.

He urged the government to recognize the struggles of many sectors, particularly the transport sector, and hoped people could genuinely feel the government's support, not just be told it exists.

"Every day, tumataas yung LPG. Every day. Hindi namin alam kung magkakaroon pa ng supply. Takot na po kami at kailangan po namin ng gobyerno na hindi lang sasabihin na nandyan sila para sa amin kundi isang gobyerno na nararamdaman po ng lahat (Every day, LPG prices rise, and we never know if there will be enough supply. We are afraid and need a government whose presence is truly felt, not just one that claims to be 'there' for the people)," the chef said.

He appealed to the administration to have a clear plan on how they can return to normal, or if that is no longer possible, what they can do to at least cushion the effects of this crisis.

"Ang kailangan po namin ngayon, isang malinaw na liderato, isang malinaw na plano, at isa pong comprehensive action para po maibsan yung doubts and fears na nararanasan po ng napakaraming Pilipino ngayon (What we need now is clear leadership, a clear plan, and a comprehensive course of action to ease the doubts and fears that so many Filipinos are experiencing today)," he continued.

In the end, Maulit and the team behind Trining's Kitchen Stories, together with all those who have come together to help, hope to show that if they can extend help despite facing the same hardships, then those with greater means should have no excuse not to do more.