“In charity, there is no excess.”
Christian Geonzon, 22 years old, a resident of Minglanilla town in Cebu Province, knows what it is like when hunger pangs strike and one is penniless.
So when he started his food cart business in March 2023, it comes with the promise to always be mindful of people in dire straits.
Christian went viral after offering free meals to those who have no money at all to buy the food items offered in his food cart business.
He said that because he wants his enterprise to provide both the opportunity to earn revenue and to be of help to the needy, he posted a call for people to never be bashful at asking him on the availability of free meals.
His food cart stands at a corner in Poblacion Ward 4, Minglanilla, which is a stone’s throw from the national highway.
Students patronize him for the affordability of the food items and because his boundless generosity appeases more than corporal hunger.
A student-customer said he prefers to eat lunch at Christian’s stall because Christian would let him take his meal first and settle the bill later when he already has enough money.
Free meal of fried chicken, spring rolls and rice, with softdrinks, was also offered to a caroler. Christian said it is hard enough to think how taxing it is for the man to be walking under the sweltering heat in search for a few pesos, the free meal could at least lighten up the burden.
The announcement he posted onto his cart reads: “Kung Ge Gutom ka unya wala kay kwarta DOOLA Ang Tindero. Ayaw kaulaw [smiling emoji].”
In Cebuano, this means that those who are hungry but do not have the money to pay for the food may partake of it for free.
All they have to do is approach him and to never be bashful about asking for food. Christian said he is not a newbie, actually, in food selling and in sharing.
His family is into the selling of food items in the trendy "bilao" (round-shaped traditional rice winnower) container, chicken pastil, chili pepper stuffed with meat locally called “dynamite,” among others.
He said his family has always been sharing food whenever they can.
Christian is already an orphan but he has siblings supporting him. His cart provides employment to cousins and other youngsters in the neighborhood who would look after the cart when he goes to school.
“Ako may dunay privilege makahatag sa uban, dili man tanan dunay privilege, ako sobra-sobra man gyud ni, so ako ning gipang-share,” Christian said while serving his customers who have appreciated how the food is as satisfying as the customer service and charity espoused by the young entrepreneur.
