Art auction funds feeding stations

FOOD TRUCK “Lugaw” (rice porridge) is served to Metro Manila street children by a donated food truck dubbed Duterte’s Kitchen. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi loves everything Japanese—from its culture to its food to its shipbuilding industry, where many of the roll-on, roll-off vessels of his ferry company were built before he reentered government service last year.

So when Japanese artist Keisuke Teshima—famous for his “One-Stroke Dragon” paintings, made with just a single brush stroke—gifted the energy chief with one of his creations, Cusi decided to auction it off, inviting his wealthy friends to bid for it at the Networld Hotel in Pasay City on Friday night.

The catch? No cash bids would be accepted. Instead, interested bidders would commit to provide “lugaw” (rice porridge) for the Duterte’s Kitchen feeding program for indigents.

Equivalent in ‘kaldero’

Each industrial-sized “kaldero” (pot) of lugaw, including the preparation and distribution costs, as well as disposable cups and utensils, was pegged at P3,000.

Hence, a bid of 100 kaldero would have a nominal value of P300,000—which is exactly where the bidding began that evening.

“What we really want to do here is help feed the hungry street children,” Cusi said. “Duterte’s Kitchen has several locations, including a fixed site in Cubao, Quezon City, but we also have several mobile feeding stations.”

These mobile units use large motorized tricycles as roving kitchens to provide meals in key areas nationwide in impoverished neighborhoods.

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi politely declines a gift from Japanese artist Keisuke Teshima and suggests instead that it be auctioned for calderos of lugaw for Duterte’s Kitchen. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

“More importantly, there’s no politics involved here. It’s open to everyone who needs a hot meal and we accept noncash donations from everyone who wants to help,” he explained. “It doesn’t matter whom you voted for.”

At the auction, Teshima—one of only four artists in the world to master the ancient One-Stroke Dragon technique—created a new painting onsite using a single perfect stroke with a large sumi brush and watercolor to complete his piece.

Renowned Japanese artist Keisuke Teshima, one of only four artists in the world to master the ancient painting technique known as “One-Stroke Dragon”, does what he does best and for a cause — to help Duterte’s kitchen. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

With Teshima witnessing the event, the bids rose steadily from 100 pots (P300,000) to 300 and 400 (at least P1.2 million) which was the bid submitted by shipping magnate Hermie Esguerra.

From then on, it became a three-way bidding battle between Esguerra, San Miguel Corp. official Rolando Macasaet and real estate businessman AJ Violago.

Winning bid

But at 450 pots (P1.35 million), no one could match Violago’s bid as he emerged the winner.

Later, another painting was auctioned off and won by Wilson Tecson for 100 kaldero, while another donor pledged 50 kaldero to the feeding program, which ended up 600 kaldero that night—enough to feed people with an estimated 168,000 meals over a three-month period.

“No one will go to sleep hungry because of this,” Cusi said.

The plan to put up a feeding program for the poor was hatched last year during a meeting of PDP-Laban officials that included Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, the party president; House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, the party secretary general; and Energy Secretary Cusi, the party vice chair. President Duterte is the PDP-Laban chair.

The original campaign headquarters of Duterte in Cubao now serves as Duterte’s Kitchen. It serves free lugaw daily to street children and those in need from breakfast to dinner. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

The first Duterte’s Kitchen is located near MRT Cubao between Farmers Plaza and the Social Security System building, which was loaned to PDP-Laban for its use as headquarters during the 2016 campaign. The owner extended his generosity by agreeing to convert it later to Duterte’s Kitchen.

When it opened last year, Duterte’s Kitchen gave priority to street children. Now it also feeds hungry adults.

During that time, Duterte’s Kitchen catered to between 50 to 70 street children and adults daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The facility mostly serves free lugaw and “champorado,” or chocolate rice porridge, for breakfast, and a full meal with rice, vegetables, fish or chicken-pork adobo for lunch and dinner.

The kitchen staff is composed of volunteers who are ready and willing to help underprivileged people.

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