The Global Impact of
Joy Operations

Innovations take shape along the course of history. And as humanity continues to innovate they are in active participation in our shared history. Technology is new historical epoch that if done with care and critical responsibility could either promote further inclusive future realities or stifle the chances of progress and its continuation. What are our values? And what is the task that must be carried out in the pursuit of these values?

Operation Merienda is a hybrid approach to development that thrives on the partnerships I’ve developed with caterers, organizers, educators, and community leaders in the Philippines. This idea of bringing everybody to the table through the universal language of food, or merienda, is an opportunity to build community on both the producer and consumer side. Operation Merienda fills the gap between the emerging omnipresence of handheld technology (mobile phones) among younger generations in a way that allows greater participation for the previous generation of farmers coexisting with online-based marketplaces that have emerged in the Digital Age.

Cross Cultural Exchange through culinary arts and philanthropy fosters a creative mindset for development strategies. This is greatly needed in a time when our collective human experience is ascending towards an increasingly interconnected world. The work I have done in Operation Merienda aims to fuse the current social realities of multiple cultural contexts by integrating it into the technological innovations of the Digital Age. Our partnerships with caterers, local government units, politicians, educators, law enforcement agencies within the municipality of Sto. Nino, Mindanao, South Cotabato inform our approaches to grassroots advocacy. We’ve also collaborated with nearby townships and have allowed the impact of our work to cascade through various members in the Filipino community across the SOCCSKSARGEN Region XII of the Philippines.

We make social entrepreneurship more accessible through technology and community building strategies that enhance networking opportunities. Maximizing the role of technology in social entrepreneurship and community building ensures that we are not only extending opportunities to co-create a better world, but that we are also serving the ideal of a happier world.