Why mealtime togetherness is a must

MANILA, Philippines - There are two things that are deeply ingrained in the Filipino culture: food and family. Given this predilection, there is certainly something to be said for the nourishing tradition of regular family mealtime. Four personalities dish on why they believe shared meals should be kept sacred.

“I am who I am today because of my family.” Not having his siblings here has brought home the value of spending time together as a family for musician Miguel Escueta. “Dining on weeknights doesn’t happen as often anymore. Since my two older sisters are already in the States, it’s now just my parents, my younger siblings and me at the dinner table,” he shares.

Despite this, Miguel’s parents Manolo and Marie Escueta still make family mealtime a main concern. “That’s when I learned about integrity, love, and faith in God; about the importance of having a vision and not being afraid because you know that there are people who will always be there. Mealtimes are constant reminders of what we try to attain individually and collectively. They are a great way of beginning and ending the day together.”

“Time spent with family is a discipline and habit which must be inculcated while the kids are young.” Ana de Villa Singson’s life priority is her family, so much so that she retired to spend more time with her kids, Gaby and Manuel. “I made a vow to be home as much as possible whenever they arrive home from school,” she relates. This also translates to their mealtimes, as the Singson family takes a “round robin” approach to meals so that everyone has the chance to share what they did during the day.

“Family mealtime is the kind of unbreakable custom I would like my children to have, for them to realize that having meals together is really asserting the primacy of the family over anything and anyone else.” Ana shares these interesting tips for those who want to make their family mealtimes memorable: “Make it interesting. Vary food themes. But most importantly, share, listen, and reach out.”

“I’m never too busy for my family.” Once a formidable basketball star in the UAAP, BJ Manalo is now settling well into a peaceful and harmonious family life. Having grown up in a household where eating together was enjoyed and practiced; he has carried this over to his own family, composed of wife Diane and kids Cailin and Ava. “If you can spend mealtimes with other people at work, what more with your family?”

BJ finds joy in observing how quickly his kids are growing up, and the opportunity normally presents itself at the dinner table. “Seeing how their personalities are continually evolving makes me happy,” he enthuses. “Also, I’ve noticed that they copy certain things from me, and it’s interesting to see how this becomes part of who they are as individuals. I learned about prioritizing family and God at the dinner table and that’s exactly what I’m doing now.”

“Sharing meals is a very important part of each family’s life.” Kaye Tiñga, Taguig City mayor Freddie Tiñga’s other half, grew up in a big family with a penchant for sharing stories during mealtimes. “Because I come from a big family, I understand the importance of each child having a say or an opinion,” she shares. “So as a parent, I make sure that each of my children is heard. This reaffirms how important each is and helps build their confidence.”

No matter how long her to-do list is, Kaye believes that sharing meals should take precedence. “In this day and age, families are busier, so it is becoming more difficult to get everyone together to share a meal. But we can be creative. Instead of dinner, why not breakfast? Wake up earlier; it’s worth the effort. The more time the family spends together the closer the family is and the stronger the ties.” 

These four families are giving their full support to Lucky Me!’s Kainang Pamilya Mahalaga, and with it, this year’s celebration of National FaMEALy Day on Sept. 28, to commemorate the value of Filipino family dining in raising happy, healthy and successful children. After all, when it comes to spending quality time with the family, casual, everyday meals are good places to start.

National FaMEALy Day is a national event that was certified and made official in a Memorandum of Agreement signed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the National Committee on the Filipino Family (NCFF), and Monde Nissin Corporation.

Pledge your commitment to make time for family meals, and reap life lessons and memories that will last long after dinner is over.

This year’s National FaMEALy Day will be on Sept. 28, 2009. Mark your calendars now and pledge to make regular family meals a must! For more information, visit http://www.kainangpamilyamahalaga.com.