What started as a small effort in 2016 has grown into a sustained daily mission led by Jesuit priests and retired medical professionals, providing food and basic support to patients who arrive with little or no money. The chaplaincy used to only serve food during feast days, not daily, Fr. Marlito “Lito” Ocon, head chaplain of the PGH Catholic Chaplaincy, saw the need to feed patients every day.
For Fr. Ocon, the need was clear from the beginning.
“Nakita ko 'yong need na kailangan ng (I saw the need for) daily food for them,” he said. “Some arrived late in the evening, ang iba walang pambili, kung may dala man tinitipid nila para umabot sa susunod na araw (Some arrived late in the evening, others had nothing to buy, if they brought anything they saved it to last until the next day). " The initiative began with surplus bread from bakeries, which could no longer be sold the next day but are still safe to consume. The program started only a few days a week (MWF), then gradually became a daily operation due to growing demand.
Despite restrictions and risks, the feeding program continued every single day throughout the pandemic.
The program runs purely on donations and “Divine Providence.” Fr. Ocon said he has never written a formal fundraising letter, support simply comes.
He said they prioritize those in emergency room, where demand remains highest. Many patients in the emergency room are not yet admitted, so they are not covered by hospital food rations. Fr. Ocon added that he personally studied and developed the sandwich fillings to make them affordable, sustainable, and filling. Operations begin early each day after morning Mass, as priests and volunteers prepare food and supplies for distribution. Each patient is allotted two sandwiches, often consumed at different times of the day due to irregular eating.
The chaplaincy also observed that many patients are too critical to eat, so the sandwiches are instead consumed by their watchers or family members.
There are cases where patients have no companions, making access to food even more difficult.
Fr. Ocon recalled a patient who cried after being given bread, revealing he had not eaten the entire day.
Fr. Ocon emphasized: “If you cannot feed 100, feed one.” The program began without certainty of sustainability. For patients, the assistance offers immediate relief. A 50-year-old woman from Bicol, who had been waiting at the outpatient department for three days for tests, said the sandwiches helped her get through long hours without food.
“Maraming salamat po, pantawid gutom po kasi malayo bilihan pagkain (Thank you, it helps ease our hunger because food is hard to access),” she said.
Beyond sandwiches, the chaplaincy provides other forms of support to address patients’ daily needs. These include diapers for both adults and children, rice packs, and grocery packs containing basic items such as noodles, canned goods, and coffee. Expensive formula milk is provided to cancer patients, elderly patients, and those who cannot eat properly.
The program has since expanded to 16 charity wards with 20-50 beds each, on a rotating basis. Each patient in the wards receives grocery packs every two to three weeks.
Even with “zero billing,” many medical needs (like diagnostics, medicines, or supplies not available in the hospital) are not covered, so the chaplaincy steps in to help patients buy them. They are given pharmacy gift checks to ensure the assistance is used for treatment, while wheelchairs, including reclining units, are also distributed to those referred by hospital social workers.
“The process goes through the Medical Social Service,” Ocon said. "May stub (Patients will receive stubs) from MSS ang patients, who need of wheelchairs, medicine and milk supplements, and we provide it right away.”
Retired health workers help sustain the effort, many of whom spent decades working at PGH before returning as volunteers.
“Pag paubos na ang supply, minsan nagugulat kami, may kakatok dito tapos magpapack kami ulit (When the supply runs out, sometimes we get surprised, someone knocks on the door to donate and then we pack again),” said Dr. Connie, a retired doctor of PGH.
Nearly a decade since it began, the initiative continues to fill a critical gap inside one of the country’s busiest public hospitals, where for many patients at the Philippine General Hospital, a piece of bread is often the first thing they receive, and the last thing they expect.