From Study Time to Story Time: Hansel Sandwich’s Advocacy for Holistic Learning

by Alexa Villano
March 26, 2025

Biscuits are a snack staple for children and help build their well-being

Have you observed your children quietly studying while having their favorite biscuit snack in between other tasks? What about when they are chatting with their friends? A bite before studying can give them a much-needed energy boost.

Hansel Sandwich has been a childhood favorite of many. Its five flavors—mocha, choco, milk, milky strawberry, and butter—have been a staple for Filipino kids, whether they’re studying, doing homework, and screen time, or hanging out with friends.

Biscuits are a snack staple for children and help build their well-being

A Partner in Improving Children’s Literacy

The past years saw a growing concern with regards to child literacy. A World Bank report revealed that 9 out of 10 Filipino students have difficulty reading simple texts. This news has been a concern because reading is one of the basic skills kids should master early. Many educators and lawmakers are trying to come up with solutions in improving the literacy rate among children.

Hansel Sandwich has always believed in the importance of a child’s holistic development, championing the importance of reading. It has been actively developing storybooks for students. To date, they’ve donated close to 200,000 books to 116 schools in provinces such as Laguna, Masbate, Aurora, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Quezon, and Batangas.

For Hansel Sandwich, these workbooks foster a love for reading as kids scan through the pages. These books with relatable stories and engaging activities also develop awareness for important Filipino values like obedience,honesty, and responsibility.

Hansel Sandwich also takes advantage of online learning through its online Hanchies series on YouTube, creating more accessible content to aid reading and learning for young kids. Its Hanchies videos have received more than 300,000 views and remain popular among young viewers. The videos, which tackle values like obedience, honesty, responsibility, and self-care, help teach kids the importance of good manners and positive interactions with others.

These initiatives reflect Hansel’s commitment to addressing the educational gap among Filipino children through the years.

A Partner in Improving School Facilities

Hansel’s commitment to children’s education is more than books and online videos. They’ve also been creating activity worksheets students can use. To date, Hansel has printed approximately 6 million copies of activity worksheets which were distributed to 7,600 schools as supplemental reading materials at the height of the pandemic in 2020-2022.

They are also leading the renovation of school canteens and walkways in 11 schools across various cities and provinces.

The renovations support the improvement of school facilities to provide a more comfortable environment for young learners.

Hansel is committed to honing the holistic formation of the next generation of kids. More than just a cookie sandwich, Hansel Sandwich is a brand dedicated to helping children grow into better students and future leaders of the country.

References:

Kenneth Hartigan-Go, Angel Faye Castillo, Melissa Louise Prieto, (January 2024) Hungry children do not make good students
https://pids.gov.ph/details/news/in-the-news/hungry-children-do-not-make-good-students-opinion-piece-by-kenneth-hartigan-go-angel-faye-castillo

Department of Education (September 2024) 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗘𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗯𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝘀
https://www.deped.gov.ph/2024/09/18/deped-and-rebisco-group-of-companies-forge-partnership-to-support-public-school-learning-programs/

EDCOM (January 2025) Fixing the Foundations: A Matter of National Survival https://edcom2.gov.ph/