Dining Commons event to benefit victims

It seems that people and food come together in times of great tragedy.

After Typhoon Haiyan – one of the most powerful storms on record – hit the Philippines on Nov. 8, members of the Asian Pacific Islander Association and staff member Jihan Ejan thought about ways to help some of the millions of people affected by the storm.

A fundraising event featuring Filipino cuisine seemed like a good way to reach out to the campus community and ask them to help with the effort. The club contacted Campus Dining at CSU Monterey Bay with the idea, and Sodexo, the university’s food service provider, agreed to help.

As a result, Thursday, Dec. 5, is Filipino relief day. Food from that country will be featured in the Dining Commons. Thirty percent of cash sales – on all food sold, not just the Filipino dishes – will be donated to the relief effort. Executiv chief Uriah Paiva said the menu will consist of:

• Chicken Adobo • Bam-I (Pancit Bisaya), from the area hit by the typhoon • Humba (braised pork belly with sugar), another popular dish from the area hit by the typhoon • Tortang Talong (eggplant omelet), a vegetarian option • Garlic fried rice • Flan and maruya (banana fritters), traditional desserts

Proceeds from the event will be donated to non-governmental organizations supporting relief efforts.

For more information, contact Jihan Ejan at jejan@csumb.edu

Photo shows Palawan Island, El Nido, Philippines. Photo courtesy of Jihan Ejan