In the latter part of 2025, Cebu, a major island in the Central Visayas region of the Philippines, was relentlessly battered by natural disasters – from strong earthquakes that happened last September 30 with a magnitude 6.9; to powerful typhoons that started from November 2 and ended on November 7.

One of the hardest-hit areas was Balamban, a town in western Cebu, where landslides cut off roads, isolated communities, and made it extremely difficult to reach survivors and send help to thousands of families.

On December 14, 2025, the LTB Philippines Chefs Association, together with Chef Celina David’s team and Duyan sa Paglayum, charitable organization, set out on a mission to the communities of Cantuod, Nangka, and Owak in Balamban to distribute relief packs to affected families. Though the mountain roads have already been cleared, the surroundings bare stark reminders of the devastation the typhoons have hit the island.

Upon arrival at each community, each family was given relief packs containing much-needed items: sleeping mats, blankets, towels, and rice — small comforts that meant so much to those who had lost almost everything. Back in the city, the team also went to Subangdaku; a community heavily affected by flooding from the recent typhoon, and where a devastating fire ravaged a residential area last December 10 and left hundreds homeless.

Through the unwavering support and funding of Worldchefs Without Borders, the team was able to extend relief to about 2,500 families — 2,500 homes given not only material aid, but a brief moment of comfort and a powerful reminder that even as the earth shakes and the waters rise, they are not alone.

The LTB Philippines Chefs Association would like to extend its heartfelt thanks to those who made this effort possible:

• Duyan sa Paglayum – for organizing the communities and for connecting us to the towns that needed help the most. Your contribution to this effort truly made it easier for us by paving the way and ensuring that our limited time and resources reached those who were in the deepest need.

• Chef Celina David’s energetic team and the homeowners of Mahogany Grove Subdivision – For organizing this and for your relentless dedication in bringing since the onset of these disasters, for braving treacherous roads and long days under the sun. Your kindness has turned exhaustion into courage, and fear into comfort.

• Chef Willment Leong and Worldchefs Without Borders – without their support, none of this would have been possible. Their aid did not only bring essential relief to 2,500 families, it also brought them hope.

Through your compassion, strangers become allies, distant shores become closer, and you let the people see that beyond the storms and tremors, there are hands willing to reach out and hearts willing to stand with them. You did not only help ease their hunger and fatigue — you reminded them that from devastation, a community can rise again. In places where the earth had crumbled and the floodwaters had risen, you helped restore dignity, comfort, and the strength to carry on.