MEDIUM RARE

As the server cleared our table, I asked him how much food was being wasted at every meal by the restaurant’s patrons. His answer did not surprise me, “About 20 percent.”
Next, I had to ask, “How about water that’s left in the glass?” His answer was the same, “20 percent.” Then he quickly added, “Or maybe more.”
Another day in another restaurant, I asked their supervisor the same questions. Looking somewhat guilty through no fault of his own, he said he has asked his staff not to automatically bring out the pitcher and start pouring water into the drinking glasses as soon as customers have taken their seat. “Good for you,” I told him, and immediately noticed that the glasses on our table were shorter, slimmer than the fat, squat types used by most restaurants.
In his time, restaurateur Larry Cruz (who owned a chain of restaurants, bars, and cafes in Manila and Makati) made it his policy not to serve water “until the customer asks for it.” I never had the chance to ask if he had formally conveyed that policy to other members of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines, or how as a profession they handled the problem of water shortages in Mega Manila.
Then as now, millions end the day hungry and thirsty. Then as now, Angat dam holds our attention: Is the water level going down and downer? Just in time, a survey reveals that four in 10 adult Filipinos are obese. In other words, the food they ingest is more than they should digest. To underline the prevailing high temperatures, we are reminded to drink eight glasses of water daily. (Water is zero calorie.)
Filipino cuisine is among the best in the world, it should be easy to ask food-trippers to find ways to feed the hungry while reducing wasteful consumption. Ironically, the law prohibits hotels and commercial kitchens from donating food to charity. Only Red Cross may pick up cooked meals from such establishments for sharing with orphanages and the like. Calling our lawmakers – Red Cross boss Dick Gordon’s former colleagues in the Senate – to refresh that old law with new ideas – food for thought! – straight out of the (lunch)box.