Filipinos are known for many things, but if there is one trait that we are truly known for the world over, it’s our warmth and hospitality toward others and our fondness of celebrating emotional connections. There is a reason family is such an important unit in Philippine society, and we have perfected ways of keeping in touch with the ones closest to us to a tee.

Take for example the past couple of years, where our way of connecting with others has significantly changed. While times have gotten better, all that has transpired allowed us to discover new ways of strengthening our relationships. We owe this to our ingrained ability to find hope and joy in everything. It is in our DNA to find happiness in the smallest and simplest of things.

You can see this in the dynamics of every Filipino family. Let’s spotlight an everyday scene in a typical Filipino household: food and table conversations. For us, mealtime, and the cooking that goes with it, is more than just a routine part of our day. The very routine has a whole psychology behind it.

Moms, the most common ringleaders in the kitchen, don’t just throw something in the pan to feed their family. Cooking is an act of love, and what’s rarely seen is the thought behind every meal prepared. What food will make their family smile? How do they make it healthy so that they get the nutrition they need? To have good food means to fill the ones we love not only physically, but emotionally as well.

This expression of love is also evident in the everyday moments that we share whenever we sit down to have meals together. Breakfast, for example, sets the mood for the day because it is the chance for the family to catch up and connect before heading off to their busy day. It is the time of the day when everyone comes together and puts all their personal affairs aside to focus on the moment.

True enough, preparing breakfast and enjoying it is another way of saying “I love you” in our culture. We’ve perfected the concept of comfort food down to the smallest of details with how we make every meal out of love and the way we enjoy our table sessions as a form of family bonding. Pandemic or not, this part of our culture is something we have always retained and will strengthen even more, with hope.

The concept of meals #madewithlove is something that cooking oil brand Pacific Sunrise has always championed. A product of Agri Pacific Corporation, this healthy vegetable oil made from palm olein has always been a strong supporter of finding what’s good and special in preparing meals. For the brand, cooking means so many things, and the way we make our meals is just as important as the meals that end up on our table spreads. It is a chance to nourish our loved ones with food prepared with an ingredient that has zero percent cholesterol, trans-fat, and non-GMO formulation. It is also fortified with vitamin A and contains Omega 6 and 9 and vitamin E. And it is Halal-certified!

Versatile for cooking, Pacific Sunrise is sustainably sourced. It is an ideal kitchen counter regular for those who have always looked at the process of food preparation as something more than just a chore but also an act of love. So the next time you want to prepare breakfast, take it as a chance to show how much you care by cooking from the heart.

Pacific Sunrise is available in a 500 ml pouch at ₱58, one-liter bottle at ₱112, and two-liter pouch for only ₱195 at major supermarkets and in Lazada (https://bit.ly/35PRc8E) and Shopee (https://bit.ly/35QStMU). Follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.