Nourishment for Life: The Faithful Service of Hapag-Asa Volunteers

Ate Angie Dalupan starts her day at 4 a.m. By 5 a.m., she and two fellow parish volunteers take a 30-minute tricycle ride from their Hapag-Asa homebase to the wet market near San Isidro Labrador Parish in Antipolo Hills. This has been her routine for six months whenever their parish participates in the HAPAG-ASA Integrated Nutrition Program, a collaboration between the Ministry on Social Action, Human Development, and Caritas (MSAHDC) of the Diocese of Antipolo and the Assisi Development Foundation (ADF).

“We do this without compensation,” Ate Angie shares, citing Matthew 10:8. “My only reward is the strength God gives me to fulfill my mission.” For two years, despite her meager income and life as a widow, she has served the poor with unwavering dedication.

Her story echoes that of nearly 500 volunteers who have sustained this 19-year-old feeding program, proving the power of “the poor serving the poor.” These volunteers, despite having little, offer their time, skills, and love to their parishes. Thanks to supportive pastors like Fr. Joey Valdez, they receive transportation allowances, cooking tools, and a dedicated space for their apostolate.

Balancing family and service is not always easy, but Ate Angie remains steadfast. “A small bowl of nutritious food doesn’t just nourish a child—it transforms lives,” she says. After one feeding cycle, she saw children become healthier, more alert, and more active. Even their parents, drawn back to the Church through the program’s liturgical activities, noticed the change.

ADF’s people and training programs have strengthened this mission, shaping volunteers like Ate Angie into true servants of the community. ADF proves that one does not need wealth or extra time to make a difference—only a heart that beats for others.