On March 19, fast food giant McDonald’s celebrated its annual National Breakfast Day by distributing thousands of free Longgadesal sandwiches to customers all over the country.
But prior to this one-day breakfast event, McDonald’s had brought the National Breakfast Day cheer to communities that were in need of an extra dose of positivity.
Families displaced due to the recent eruption of Mt. Mayon were the first to receive free Longgadesal sandwiches when McDonald’s gave thousands of its new product offering in five evacuation centers in Legazpi, Albay on March 5 and 6.
The team also visited the Bakwit Village Transition Shelter in Marawi last March 11. The evacuees who fled their homes during the armed conflict were delighted to taste the sandwich.
“National Breakfast Day has always been about giving customers a memorable breakfast experience,” said McDonald’s Philippines president and chief executive Kenneth Yang.
He continued, “This year, McDonald’s reached out to our fellow Filipinos who are most in need, following recent events that happened in their communities. We’re happy that we were able to extend the goodness of a McDonald’s breakfast to our fellow countrymen in Albay and Marawi.”
Aside from giving away free breakfast treats, McDonald’s also featured inspiring stories of new beginnings or “bagong simula.” It presented the moving story of mothers who gave birth to children in evacuation centers during the Marawi siege.
The video features the visit of Atom Araullo, as he listened to the stories of the mothers’ everyday struggles and hopes—stories that echoed their desire to rebuild their lives. Amidst the difficulties of living away from their homes, they managed to nurture their newborns and remain hopeful for the future that lies ahead of them and their “Baby Bakwits.”