Thank you for patiently waiting for this post. I had several logistical nightmares which delayed this announcement.
The Marketmanila Public School Feeding Initiative is an effort to raise funds to help supplement or initiate feeding programs for severely malnourished public school children. It is hoped that feeding these kids will help improve their school attendance record and help them concentrate on school work. This effort is a drop in the proverbial bucket, but everything has to start somewhere. The beneficiaries at this point are confirmed to include the Banawa Elementary School in Cebu, where we will start with a feeding program on December 3, 2007 for 50 severely underweight students from Grades 1-3, providing 3 lunches per week for a period of 15 weeks or until the end of the school year roughly (this program could be expanded to include 100 kids). We are also in discussions with a large public school in Taguig, that I will be visiting tomorrow to finalize arrangements. If we raise more funds than initially expected, we may add a third beneficiary school as well.
All gifts from Marketmanila.com readers will be forwarded directly to the schools. 100% of funds raised will go to the public schools, Marketmanila retains absolutely nothing whatsoever, it is simply coordinating this effort. The schools will identify the children who will participate in the programs and will record the initial weight and progress of each child, facilitate any de-worming treatments prior to the commencement of the program, as well as coordinate parent volunteers who will assist in the preparation and serving of meals. Marketman and staff will release funds on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, after we have seen the actual successful implementation of the feeding programs, and are convinced that the funds are being spent wisely. It is estimated that the average meal will cost PHP20-25, so a PHP500 gift will be the equivalent of roughly 25 meals.
Your overwhelming response to this program, is frankly, shockingly warm and fuzzy. I am stunned that so many of you want to help, and it is a testament to everyone’s innate desire to do some good, no matter how small or large. I have prepared roughly 550 shirts and totes, but I suspect from the comments in previous posts on this program, that I may run out relatively quickly. I do not have extensive crew behind me, so forgive me if logistics are as crude as they are. The shirts and totes will be made available on a first come, first serve basis. For a minimum donation of PHP500 towards the feeding programs, if you will allow me, Marketman will give you a t-shirt or tote, as supplies last. Please feel free to make a larger gift to the public schools if you would like. I am so sorry that I was unable to somehow make arrangements to accept donations from abroad, but surprisingly, the red-tape involved is incredible, as are the payment issues. At this stage, folks abroad who would like to help will have to have a friend or relative physically go to the pick-up points, my apologies for this shortcoming. I never thought trying to do something good could get so complicated…
Pick up points are as follows:
Saturday, 17 November 2007 (9AM-2PM, or until supplies last)
S&R Fort Bonifacio
Outside the Main Entrance of the store
32nd St. Corner 5th Avenue
Fort Bonifacio Global City
Taguig City, Metro Manila
Monday 19 November 2007 (11AM-1PM, or until supplies last)
HeelSewKwik (near Aji Ichiban)
Basement Level
Megamall
Mandaluyong, Metro Manila
20-21 November 2007
Cebu Pick-Up Near Jollibee at Corner of Mango and Gorordo Ave
Details to be posted later
(limited shirts and totes made available)
Additional pick-up points may be arranged if there are still t-shirts and totes left after these two pick-up dates. I will advise additional pick-up points at a later date.
I will NOT, REPEAT NOT be at the Salcedo Market this weekend or the next. An absurd administrative snafu screwed up that arrangement after I was left hanging for 4 weeks, and suffice it to say, I am being kind by not getting into any further details.
I am, however, incredibly thrilled to be at S&R this weekend. S&R Management were incredibly responsive to a last minute request and with less than a few hours of emails back and forth, they have graciously offered me their Fort Bonifacio store as a pick-up point this Saturday, Nov. 17th. Easily accessible, with lots of free parking, a nice place for Marketman to set up, and a store chock-full of goodies, it is the perfect venue. It also happens to be S&R’s First Anniversary Weekend. So there are deals to be had in-store and if you are a member, they have special incentives for big-spenders this weekend. Even better news, if you are not a member, they can issue you a day pass so that you can check the place out. You can even purchase goods under a day pass, but have to pay a 5% premium on the prices of goods. They also have deals for folks who sign up for a membership.
I will also have a short pick-up period at HeelSewKwik, a shoe repair and clothing alterations shop at Megamall. I am grateful for their assistance and for providing this convenient pick-up point. I will also personally carry several shirts and totes to Cebu next week for Cebuano readers.
Marketman & crew hope to see you all this weekend. We will start releasing t-shirts and totes at 9am SHARP on Saturday, 17 November 2007. Please wipe out the 550 shirts and totes we have prepared, as that will provide approximately 14,000+ meals for malnourished schoolchildren in the months ahead. If you don’t want a shirt or tote, just drop by and say hello instead. Oh, and contest “winners” can pick up their goodies at this same location as well. Thank you very much!!!
56 Responses
MM, Any chance that we cebuanos will have a pick-up point in Cebu?
By any chance, are the white “eggs” shirt going to be available? And is there only 1 design for all the Black shirts (or is it Grey?). I’m having 3 shirts and a bag picked-up at S&R on Saturday and I’m hoping I could be a bit more detailed on my pick-up instructions. I’m afraid my guy will mess it up, if he ever finds the place :)
Thanks, MM.
MM,
I am just echoing the question of artisan chocolatier. Will there be a chance that we can have the t-shirts and tote bags in Cebu?
I also would like to know if there will be a Cebu pick up point.
see you saturday!!!
all your hard work and concern for these kids doesn’t go unnoticed.. if only those officials who claim to be serving the people would do the same..
if we can only have you elected in office.. am sure these country would be a better place.. you’ve been more of an icon than anybody seating in office right now.. i may not be able to give my share for the charity for some personal problem but my support for the cause would always be in my heart.. good job MM!! your examples would always be followed.. regards to the whole family!!
Only P500 for a glimpse of Marketman and a free shirt/tote? and it’s not Christmas yet! Thank you Marketman for thinking of the kids and of ways of making our lives more fun :)
I asked my son to pick up a tote bag and a t-shirt at Fort Bonifacio on Saturday. Thanks for giving us an opportunity to help feed poor school children. More power to you, Marketman.
looking forward to owning a tote bag =)
Oh, wow Banawa school is your beneficiary? i wish i could be there to join you in your feeding program. But I’m looking forward to seeing you and all the Marketman fans on saturday. Kudos to S&R for providing this great service at such short notice! It makes me feel better about blowing up my monthly grocery budget at their store ;-)
Wow! go marketman go!
This turns out to be a better and more accessible pick-up point than the one originally planned. Nothing could be more convenient. You have a pure and genuine heart, May our country be blessed with more people like you.
elaine, I am glad pick up points work for you. Markee, thanks! The Steak Lady, thank you so much for your offer to host the pick-up, I really appreciate it, but idn’t want to cause a deluge at your stall! :) edel, thanks! moni, THANK YOU for wanting to help the kids. Allen, hahaha, I feel like I am charging for viewing…:) kaye, thanks! maddie et al, think of it as a low impact eyeball… lojet, evangeline and artisan, GEEZ, I didn’t know so many Cebuanos were amongst the readers, have added a Cebu pick up point above. Dennis, I will post exactly which shirts are availabe sometime later today…so everybody knows what there is. Have a great day, everyone!
hope to get a glimpse of you. this is a worthy cause to wake up to on an early saturday morning. thanks for the opportunity to help.
chunky, I just answered your cornmeal question from the where can I find post…I just noticed it now…
What a big heart you have, MM. Perhaps next year arrangements can be made to accept donations from abroad.
MM,you have brought tears to my eyes and touched my heart by your generosity and obvious good heart.I make a pledge that I’ll be donating to this cause when you make arrangements for donations for pinoys overseas sometime I hope in the near future. Bless your heart!
Hi Mr. MM, is there any way i can get a shirt and bag tomorrow? My cousin is going back to the US by Saturday a.m. and I would like to give these as souvenier. More power to your site! Thanks.
Hi, MM. Just a clarification; is it limited to one tee or tote per person? If not, please have some mechanism to make sure that one early bird does not make pakyaw all the shirts (Like maybe limiting it to a max of 5 of each item or sumthing?) Kawawa naman the latecomers kung maubusan sila. Tnx n count me in!
Bless your heart MM!!! Just wishing that our politicians are like you – sincere to help the poor.
I have to work on Saturday waaahhh!!!! but i will be at Megamall on Monday ; ) Thank you MM!
CecileJ, good point. I really didn’t think that would be a problem, but a limit of say 5 t-shirts and totes per person is probably a good one at least early on Saturday…but we may be worrying about nothing as it is always possible that I will be swatting flies (linalangaw…) if not too many people show up on Saturday! :)
Hi MM. Great program! Any chance of providing breakfast for the beneficiaries? That’s probably a more crucial meal to help kids concentrate in school. See you saturday! :-)
foodfarer, unfortunately, most schools don’t set aside time for breakfast, so they prefer a meal at lunchtime or late morning snack. I agree breakfast would be smarter… but the lunch meal is a reasonable alternative…
MM good job! i will support your program. God bless you and your family.
Oh no, it’s Dana’s birthday party (anna banana’s daughter) in greenhills and I’m baking her cupcakes. Friends please leave me at least one shirt and a tote bag, pretty please :-)
Way to go MarketMan! I thank God for you. Such a generous man with a big, big heart.
I havent been to S&R in Taguig but I will definitely go there. Dont know how to go there but I am sure I will find my way as soon as I get to Market! Market!. I’ll take C5. yun lang naman alam kong way to go to market! from Laguna. Haha! Am not used to driving alone in Manila but my dear husband cant come with me this time. Challenge ito… hope I get to see you there, Idol!
Bengski, I am so flattered that YOU would DRIVE all the way from Laguna! Yikes! When you get off at Market!Market!, keep going towards EDSA. S&R is at the corner of 5th Avenue and 32nd street, beside the large Home Depot hardware store. It is also beside the under construction St.Lukes Hospital and across the corner from Mcdonalds (there are two Mcdo in the Fort). It is NOT right near the McKinley Forbes exit. I hope that helps!
simply awesome!
if “depth of character determines the profundity in which we engage life”, then you are very ‘deep’. :)) good luck with the project.
Daghang Salamat MM!!!
We in Cebu also want to donate to a worthy cause like your feeding project (dili na kuripot! hahahaha).
Like I said before, you can count on my family, if you need additional manpower (and logistical) assistance for the feeding program. I’m sure many Cebuanos will answer your call too.
Yey! Great!
Thanks MM!
We (my husband and I…and maybe the baby too) are so there (at S&R)! I hope the shirts and totes are still available when we get there. I wish the eggs shirt will be among those that are available. heehee.
Hi MM! From Bacolod going to Cebu for the shirt and tote?! The body is willing…Way to Go MM, You’re the Man! :)
Can someone post a link to the roadmap of S&R? I’m also not familiar with the roads at the Fort, and just like Bengski, I’ll be coming from Laguna.
Thanks!
Hi MM, I hope the shirts and tote bags last until Monday at the Megamall pick up point. Will you be there by any chance? It would be such a treat to meet you in person – more than getting a bag really…plus, on the off (on!) chance I win one of your contests, can megamall be the pick up point on Monday instead of the S&R on Saturday?
gvc33, I will not be at the Megamall pick up as I have a previous engagement out of town. But some shirts and totes will be reserved for the Monday pick-up. And yes, contest winners can pick up at Megamall as well. Thanks. Noel, sorry, I don’t have a map of the Fort. ratacutie, there are a few “I beat My Eggs….” shirts available.
aaaawww you won’t be in megamall? na-sad naman ako dun MM, i thought i will be able to meet you na. pero ok lang there will always be a next time : )
Yahoo! I hope we get to get at least one of the “eggs” shirt. I would really really love my husband wear it bwahahahaha!
I really want to have a “I beat My Eggs….” shirt but why this saturday of all days?! we are having our association meeting on Nov. 17 and I am presiding. I hope it would still be available at Megamall on Monday.
Good luck on the program MM!
Finally found the map to Fort Bonifacio. Try this link and copy/enlarge the map.
https://south.market.tripod.com/id2.html
Thank you Noel!
Hi Marketman! I reside here in the province and sad to say I can’t be in Manila this weekend and on Monday.Sayang I love the shirt and the tote bag.Anyway since I’m with you in your effort can I get your bank account number and I’ll deposit any amount that would help the children?Just PM me the details. I’ll wait for it.
Thanks!
See you in Megamall on Monday MM :) I hope there’ll still be bags left :)
God bless you!
i am one sad reader! no one can pick up any shirts or totes for me on the dates and times mentioned!:( oh how i wish payments from abroad could be accepted- like a direct bank-to-bank or LBC to bank transfer, then I could pick up the stuff myself from anywhere when I go home for my Christmas vacation. in any case, although i wish stocks will be wiped out for the kids’ sakes, maybe some will be left behind for wishful readers like me?:)
Hi MM, I wish I could help with the feeding program even if I am not gonna get a shirt and a tote. If there are readers abroad who are willing to give donation even without a t-shirt or tote, maybe you can set-up an account where we can send money. Let us know if this will work :) Advance Merry Christmas!
nina, I would love to, but legally and taxwise, it is complicated. Therefor, as easy as it sounds, it places both the donor and the beneficiary at risk. I kid you not on this. We want to do this as legally and properly as possible, and I need to retain my privacy, hence I receive no transfers of funds. I also want things as transparent as possible. I appreciate your desire to help, but I also want to keep everything as simple as possible. And merry Christmas to you too… hold on to your funds, use it for a good charitable cause the next time you are home. ragamuffin girl, maybe there will be leftovers… Pia, I will not be personally present at Megamall as I will be traveling. I will be at S&R. arseledios, I cannot give you a bank account number, but thanks for wanting to help.
yahooo!!! wi wait for more details on the Cebu pickup (what time?) and I love to have the “i beat my eggs…” too for my hubby. I’ll be out by 6AM on that day so I have plenty of time. Will you be here in Cebu at the pickup point MM?
Can I send a USD cheque for your project? No need to send me the freebies (which is very geneorus of you to provide). Thanks and blessings upon you!
anonymous, that is very generous of you, but as I wrote in the comment two above, it is legally and taxwise dicey to accept a cheque unless you wrote it directly to the beneficiary schools. But if you did that, there is no control over how they would spend the funds. Setting up a charitable foundation that is tax exempt is actually a nightmare in the Philippines. And a foreigner taking charitable donations in the U.S. or most western countries is somewhat complicated as well. I just want to do this with limited exposure for all…but I do appreciate your wanting to help. It ticks me off no end that it can’t be easier and proper to do so… It is just part of what is so wrong with our system. For example, for all of the charitable donations I have seen given over the years, hardly any qualify for a tax exemption. And worse, in the Philippines, for amounts over say PHP10,000, there is actually a TAX imposed on the DONOR, which is utterly mental. That’s why I need to channel donations from hundreds of locals at relatively small amounts… it is legal and tax appropriate. :(
i’m one sad lurker because i won’t be in manila tomorrow (nov. 17) to be at S & R coz i’ll miss my chance to see you, MM.guess i have to ask (nay, beg and plead) my dear hubby to drop by megamall on monday (number coding pa naman kami), good thing the time you set for pick-up is within the window set by mmda for cars that are covered by the number coding.
yey! see you on saturday! :)
wait wait… i am still searching for that one available relative or friend who will drive over to the Fort to get my stuff… sana we can make reservations. hehe. I do so wnat to help!
Thank you for the QC/Ortigas pick-up point, now, I can go there. More power to you MM. And more blessings to all the readers of this informative blog.
Lani, I was hoping to do a QC one, but still gauging supply and demand… Will see how things go over the next few days…
Sir :
My daughter lost our camera in your store last week. Please help us find it. You can contact us thru our tel no. 4375346 or 09174211327.
Hoping for your immediate response….
Thank you…….
Hi MM,
Thanks for your answer to my queries lately,
I have another question.
Is S & R a sister company of costco? I mean I am a member of costco and I have a membership card. Can I use it at S & R? I am actually from the US and will be home On December and will be dropping by in Makati for a day to shop before heading to Bacolod city (my home city). If i can’t use my costco, then how much is the membership fee at S & R?
Hope you can help me again
Thank you so much.
Lyndon