Kaibigan ng Lāhaina Hosts the First Round of Food Distribution through The Padigo Project

Written by:  Theresse Nicole Ignacio 

Edited by: Wendy Pias

Video & Editing by: Marc Leoj Cartagena

Photos by: Theresa Nelle Cabading

Lahaina, HI – [July 22, 2025] – Kaibigan ng Lāhaina, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the recovery and resilience of Filipino and immigrant communities impacted by the August 8, 2023 wildfires, launched their Padigo Project with their first food distribution event held last Friday on June 13, 2025. 

Organized by Kaibigan ng Lāhaina’s Sawali program, the Padigo Project is a non-consecutive 7-week food subscription program aimed at providing culturally significant foods for families who were affected by the wildfires. One hundred sixty-eight food packages are being provided on a bi-monthly basis to subscribers. These packages contain fresh produce, frozen goods, dry goods, and other protein sources that are familiar to Filipino cuisine. 

“When you respond to a disaster during your rescue phase, there's three elements that need to be met. And number one is always going to be food,” said Sieny Corpuz, the Director of Community Operations at Kaibigan ng Lāhaina. “Food will always be a healing aspect of disaster recovery and recovery for our survivors. And it was so important that we provide that with them. Not only just any kind of food, but something that they would really truly eat and truly enjoy.”

Obtaining cultural foods post-fire has proven to be a difficult task, as many Filipino grocery stores in Lahaina were destroyed in the fires. Even as farmers rebuild their farms and homeowners regrow their home gardens, reestablishing these reliable sources of Filipino food in Lāhaina will take time. In the meantime, the Padigo Project hopes to fulfill that need by collaborating with Maui Food Bank to host a series of food distributions in Lahaina. 

“We've sourced dry grocery, fresh produce from local farmers which support our local economy,” said Mahealani Carbonell, the Sourcing and Donor Relations Specialist at Maui Food Bank. “We're very grateful to be part of this project and put a little more attention to the work we already do, distributing food and providing food that gives a sense of comfort to our neighbors, something they can be excited to eat.”

Moreover, Kaibigan ng Lāhaina is working closely with Maui United Way, its fiscal sponsor, to ensure the program's efficient implementation and maximize its impact.

“We're going to figure it out together,” said Jeeyun Lee, the Director of Impact at Maui United Way. “And we're going to trust each other deeply throughout the process. And that's been built over the last couple of years for me and for an entire lifetime for so many of the people that are serving in these spaces.”

Eric Arquero, the Executive Director of Kaibigan ng Lāhaina, noted the importance of the Padigo Project as a source of hope for Lahaina families. “The recovery process is very difficult. It can be very confusing at times. And I think a lot of times people lose the ability to see a light at the end of the tunnel. And while this might not necessarily provide permanent solutions, what we hope they will do is feed [the survivors] the opportunity to have hope, to know that there are organizations, to know that there are people within their community that care about them, that put time and effort into really helping them.” 

To learn more about Kaibigan ng Lāhaina or to inquire about services, visit the official website at www.kaibigannglahaina.org, email info@kaibigannglahaina.org, follow @kaibigannglahaina on Facebook, or subscribe to @kaibigan_ng_lahaina on Instagram.