Adobo, menudo and sisig for the NHS: Pinoy food gives comfort to medical frontliners in the UK

A Filipino food movement has been providing free meals for the frontliners in the United Kingdom National Health Service (NHS) during the coronavirus pandemic.

On the latest episode of Reel Time’s docu-series “RTx,” we meet the people behind #FilipinoFoodforNHS, which has been providing boxed rice meals for Filipino and non-Filipino frontliners at 14 hospitals in the UK.

The meals include all-time Pinoy favorites like chicken adobo, menudo, sisig and of course rice! Even non-Filipino frontliners who tried their Pinoy food gave it a thumbs-up.

According to the report, the UK has recorded 269,127 cases of COVID-19. Casualties were at 37,837 and 36 of them were Filipino frontliners.

Mark Corbyn, who launched a Filipino supper club called "The Adobros," hopes the ready-made meals would help relieve some of the stress and exhaustion experienced by the country's frontliners.

"I think of the nurses who work on the frontlines and the COVID wards. We heard from one nurse who worked for 30 hours straight, no break."

Corbyn's wife, Zyrah, also works as a nurse at a private hospital.

"Busy talaga kami, tapos inisip mo pa kung maroon bang coronavirus ‘yung pasyente, kaya high risk na baka mahawaan kami pero kailangan naming gawin para makatulong kami sa mga tao," she said.

There are currently about 18,500 Pinoy workers in the NHS.

An OFW chief named Mae Magnaye-Williams wants to boost the morale of her kababayans through the comfort of Filipino food.

"Comforting siya in a sense that, this is your home. You know this is made by either your mom or your dad or a relative. Alam mo na ginagwa nila yon, niluto nila yon with lots of love and lots of care. Parang, it hugs you from the insides," Mae said.

Mae and Mark have been able to prepare 25-80 meals for frontliners a day.

Those who would like to help #FilipinoFoodforNHS can visit their Gofundme or their official Facebook page. — Margaret Claire Layug/LA, GMA News