MB: How did Duterte Kitchen (DK) start? Sec. Alfonso Cusi: Duterte’s Kitchen was inspired by the Libreng Lugaw project of then Mayor Rodrigo Duterte in Davao. The plan to put up a feeding program for the poor was hatched in 2016 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 myself as the party vice chair. President Duterte is the PDP Laban chair. I initiated the Kitchen on October 10, 2016 at the PDP Laban Headquarters located at Langley Building, 600 EDSA, between MRT-Cubao Station (northbound) and the old SSS Cubao Bldg, near Farmers Plaza, with Dexter M. Araquel as program director. There are also mobile feeding stations of the kitchen that use large motorized tricycles. These roving kitchens visit and serve impoverished neighborhoods. MB: What is its mission-vision? SAC: The mission of DK is to serve healthy and nutritious meals to all who come through its doors, including the elderly, unemployed, underemployed, poor, migrants and homeless – women, men and children. DK is committed to provide hot meals also to victims of natural disasters and calamities and to requesting marginalized communities. The vision is to serve as a beacon of assurance that no one goes hungry as its battle cry is “Walang Matutulog Na Gutom (No one will sleep hungry).” While DK may not be able to feed everyone, it is dedicated to supporting as many individuals as it can. MB: What's the grand plan? SAC: Duterte’s Kitchen is a non-profit organization, intended to help feed the less fortunate members of our community. It will continue to provide meals at no cost to our guests and it will be sustained by committed and compassionate volunteers who share generous contributions of food. Duterte's Kitchen does not receive cash donations from any private individual, institution and/or corporation. Donors provide large pots of rice porridge for serving to indigents plus disposable cups and utensils. MB: What does the Kitchen serve? SAC: The facility primarily 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. MB: What are the guidelines in setting up a DK? (DKs in the Visayas were told to get guidelines from Manila)? SAC: Passionate Duterte diehard supporters or groups may write a Letter of Intent to the project director requesting to set up and activate their local or chapter in their community. MB: How many DKs are there now?  How many are fixed? How many are mobile? SAC: There are 14 active chapters. While the headquarters is currently being transitioned from Cubao to a new location, the temporary address for DK operations and feeding is at the Barangay Manressa Multi-Purpose Hall in Biak na Bato, Quezon City. MB: Is there a group that keeps tab of each kitchen? Who else are involved in the feeding project? Who chooses the food to be served? SAC: There are two teams assigned on a rotation basis. Each kitchen has a coordinator overseeing kitchen staff. Opening shift: 6:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Closing shift: 2:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Cleaning hours, daily inventory: 7 p.m. -8 p.m. Only scheduled kitchen volunteers are permitted in the kitchen. Each kitchen team is composed of a kitchen head, a cook, kitchen volunteers who function as dishwashers, cleaners of the kitchen, food preparation staff, cleaners of the dining area, and dining assistants. Duties/responsibilities: Kitchen head – oversees kitchen operations and checks the quality of food; in-charge of briefing the kitchen volunteers; submits the daily summary report of the  number of persons served, untoward incidents; ingredients used and number of meals cooked and served for the day, including the weekly over-all inventory of left-over items. Cook – prepares meals Kitchen personnel – There are two kitchen aides assigned per shift to prepare ingredients; wash the dishes, pans and utensils, and maintain the sanitation of all the kitchen materials. Dining assistants – There are three dining assistants assigned per shift who fill in the logbook of the number of people served and regulate the meal schedules as follows: Breakfast (7:00 a.m. – 9 a.m.) o   Children – 7a.m. - 8 a.m. o   Adults – 8 a.m. – 9 a.m. (NB: Priority lane for senior citizens) Lunch (11:00 a.m. – 1 p.m.) o   Children –11 a.m. – 12 noon o   Adults – 12 noon – 1 p.m. (NB: Priority lane for senior citizens) Merienda o Available biscuits and juices Dinner (5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.) o   Children – 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. o   Adults – 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. (NB: Priority lane for senior citizens) MB: What are common problems in running the kitchen? SAC: The most common problem in the kitchen is when there is not enough food and ingredients because DK relies on what are donated and given in kind. MB: How much does it cost to run a kitchen? SAC:  DK sponsors shoulder the costs. MB: Will the kitchen continue beyond Duterte’s  term? I sincerely hope that Duterte's Kitchen will continue to bring nutritious food to those in need in the coming years.  PDP- Laban Cares, the party's civic arm, is working toward institutionalizing DK. (At the time of this writing, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi was unable to accommodate Manila Bulletin for a one-on-one interview as he was with the Philippine delegation that accompanied President Duterte to China and Hong Kong. He, however, obliged to answer a questionnaire provided by the Manila Bulletin about the feeding project he started in Metro Manila.)