Just like flattening the curve is a collective responsibility, everyone has a role to play when it comes to the revival of the economy. From healthcare institutions, to government agencies, to private organizations, every able sector of society must do its part not only in fighting the pandemic, but also in bringing the economy back on its feet.

Mekeni Food Corporation knows this, which is why the company has been contributing to these efforts in many ways since the start of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

“Mekeni owes its success to the community, so we always try to help whenever we can,” said Mekeni President Prudencio Garcia. “It’s part of the bayanihan spirit that our employees and even our partners are familiar with.”

Keeping everyone afloat during the lockdown

Like most companies, Mekeni’s day-to-day operations were severely affected when the lockdown was implemented in the whole of Luzon. Being among exempted industries, Mekeni needed to act fast to ensure steady supply of food products in the market.

They had to do this while also facing numerous challenges themselves during the said period, particularly in terms of movement of raw materials, and production and distribution of finished goods. This was attributed to mobility-related issues due to strict travel protocols, and limitations on who and how many can go to work at a time, among other problems.

Still, Mekeni knew what was needed to be done, and hurdling these challenges was just the first step. Together with the company’s employees and partners, Mekeni continued to provide food supplies to customers while making do with the means that were available to them at that time, especially in terms of manufacturing and distribution.

Plant workers and some office-based workers still showed up at work to ensure business continuity, aided by the company’s free transportation provision that included several pickup points. To ensure that demands were met, Mekeni also hired residents of Barrio Balubad in Porac who were economically displaced by the strict quarantine measures.

Mekeni launched various initiatives to address concerns on accessibility to quality food. Two initiatives were launched recently—the Mekeni Home2Home delivery service and its counterpart community selling called Mobilengke, which provides temporary source of income to jeepney drivers.

Mekeni and select partner-distributors also forged partnerships with non-government organizations, local government units, and private individuals to bring relief goods to the needy. Thousands of families in Luzon benefitted from the partnerships.

A renewed promise to lift others up

For most companies, the hardest period of the pandemic is now over with the lifting of the enhanced community quarantine. But for Mekeni, there is still a lot to be done. In line with this, the company has begun transitioning to the new normal with a renewed focus on uplifting the lives of as many people as possible, a promise that the company made long before the arrival of the current health crisis.

Among the many ways that the company is doing this is through their very own product line of Filipino street food favorites like fish balls, squid balls, siopao, and siomai called Bayani, as well as their Mekeni Home2Home Reseller program that offers profit-enabling incentives not just to internal employees, but also to their external partners.

Both of these programs are financially accessible and are designed to provide viable sources of additional income to enterprising Filipino micropreneurs, especially those whose livelihoods may have been affected by the months-long implementation of the lockdown.

Aside from these two offers, the company is looking at developing more to be introduced in the coming months, all with the same goal of helping others get back on their feet through high-quality food products and innovation.

In the meantime, amid all of the uncertainty that continues to loom all over the world due to the pandemic, the company urged everyone to work together in steering the country’s economy toward its full recovery.

“With the enhanced community quarantine now behind us, it’s time to think of how we can help reignite the economy. Doing so is everyone’s responsibility and the only way we can succeed in this endeavor is by working together,” Garcia said.