Project Wheelchair celebrates good food for a good cause
MANILA, Philippines — For the past 10 years, a special project called Project Wheelchair has been raising funds through an annual charity dinner to buy wheelchairs that would be donated to marginalized communities around the country who need them.
Heading the group is the "Lechon Diva," Dedet dela Fuente, whose Pepita’s Kitchen has been known for its variety of stuffed lechons. With her is a strong support cast of distinguished chefs, food connoisseurs, and media and social media personalities.
Project Wheelchair Dinner 2023
The 10th edition of the Project Wheelchair Dinner, which took place at The Manila Hotel’s Champagne Room last November 2023, was no different. De la Fuente was backed by her usual support group, including chef, restaurateur and food columnist Angelo Comsti (who was there since Day 1, Year 1, of Project Wheelchair, and was the one who suggested they invite chef friends to get the ball rolling for the Project Wheelchair Dinners); influencer Spanky Enriquez (who usually co-hosted the program and helped in wheelchair distribution); Pearl Guzman of Baby Pat’s Ensaymada (who always gave ensaymadas for everyone’s baon); Sanju Gopaldas (who always made sure everyone was served food as quickly as possible); Stevie Villacin, Cyrene dela Rosa, and Our Awesome Planet’s Anton Diaz (who served as photographers and videographers); and Chefs Sharwin Tee and Edward Bugia (who expedited things from the kitchen).
Coming together to lend a hand in producing the dishes for the Project Wheelchair Dinner Year 10 were Chefs Glenda Barretto, Margarita Fores, Sau del Rosario, Myke ‘Tatung’ Sarthou, Datu Shariff Pendatun, Roselyn Tiangco, and Tanya Dizon. With a roster like that, the dinner would most likely turn out to be successful, and it did.
It raised funds that were used to purchase wheelchairs, which were distributed to several communities before Christmas, thus making life and mobility easier for a number of individuals who have, before that, been only wishing to have a wheelchair.
How it started
Project Wheelchair was borne out of a heartwarming mother-and-daughter love story and, yes, also two sisters’ love for their "ate." It was in 1997 that De la Fuente gave birth to her eldest, Lauren. She was heartbroken when she found out that Lauren had cerebral palsy, but she made sure Lauren led a life that was as normal as possible. Despite her condition, Lauren was part of all family activities. Her being on a wheelchair was never an obstacle, as she experienced what her two younger sisters, Lileya and Liyora, experienced. She was on banca rides with them whenever the family went to dive resorts. She enjoyed going to Baguio, particularly visits to the market, where their suking tinderas would wave at her and greet her.
“She had so much to teach us in her brief life of 13 years. One was patience. Whenever we traveled by plane, we could not “race” with the many others who would stand right away to leave the plane. But it only meant more time holding hands with Lauren as we waited for all to get off the plane,” said the doting mother, who stressed that her firstborn also taught them the value of being selfless for someone you love, of finding happiness in the simplest of things, that life was about love, hope and faith.
De la Fuente added: “I sometimes wonder what was more difficult to bear—the moment she passed on, or the moment I found out that she had cerebral palsy and would be wheelchair bound all her life. I learned that life was about Love and Hope, and that death was all about Love and Faith. This was how Project Wheelchair was born—out of a dark moment for our family, but, despite this, it brings light and continues to thrive out of hope and love.”
It was 13 years ago, after the passing of Lauren, that her younger sister Lileya and Liyora joined the Best Food Forward annual food event, selling Lileya’s signature butter beer and Liyora’s sweet concoction called Chocolate Happiness. From the proceeds from that weekend, the two sisters purchased and donated two second-hand wheelchairs.
The year after, they were able to donate four brand-new wheelchairs as well as walkers and crutches. By the third year, De la Fuente got totally involved and, with her daughters, moved the fundraising dinner to their home and organized a 12-course sit-down dinner, whose successful turnout provided wheelchairs to people who needed them the most in Manila and in key areas like Tacloban, Palo, Cebu, Davao, Oslob, Baguio and Tarlac.
Eventually, she met Emil Yap of The Manila Hotel who opened the Champagne Room to the project, and it became like a permanent home to Project Wheelchair. The distribution of wheelchairs also became wider in scope, reaching as far as Marawi to give wheelchairs to civilians and as near as the army hospital in Taguig to provide wheelchairs for wounded soldiers.
Hopes and dreams
“It is our hope that guests who went to Project Wheelchair Dinners leave knowing that they all made a difference. But the journey does not end there. Tomorrow, we wake up to a new day with the opportunity to do good and give hope,” said De la Fuente.
