Zero Hunger Task Force, program partners distribute free food packs in Laguna
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, head of the government's Task Force on Zero Hunger, led partners from Pilipinas Kontra Gutom and Rise Against Hunger in distributing food packs in Calauan, San Pedro and BiΓ±an in Laguna last Friday, January 29, 2021.
2,000 individuals in San Pedro and 2,000 individuals in BiΓ±an received the free packs in an initiative Nograles described as "a showcase of public-private partnership in addressing malnutrition in children and hunger in Filipino families."
"There's an entire ecosystem involved in our food assistance. We not only distribute food, but we also help our farmers, fisherfolk and members of the agriculture sector through coordination with suppliers from the private sector," the MalacaΓ±ang official said.
The Cab Sec further explained that "When we launched the National Food Policy roadmap to achieve zero hunger nationwide, we actively sought non-government partners, which led to the formation of Pilipinas Kontra Gutom.“
The Rise Against Hunger movement, meanwhile, was able to set up urban and community gardens for farmers in the Don Bosco area of Calauan through the assistance of Bayer Corporation. Harvests from these gardens are distributed to local families to fight instances of stunting, being underweight and undernourishment in young people.
Nograles was joined by San Pedro City Mayor Lourdes Cataquiz, former Mayor Calixto Cataquiz, and several Councilors and BiΓ±an City Councilors Liza Cardeno, Jeddie Alatiit, Gener Romantigue, Hershey Tan Gana and Elmer Dinaranan in separate food distribution events.
For the Calauan leg, the Cab Sec met with Mayor Buenafrido Berris, Congresswoman Sol Aragones, Father Jeffrey Mangubat, SDB and RAH Executive Director Jomar Fleras, and Bryan Rivera, Bayer’s head of communications and public relations.
The hot meal packs included crispy chicken fillet, rice and bottled water. These were prepared with help from Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), McDonald's Kindness Kitchen, Coca-Cola Philippines, Metrobank, San Miguel Corporation and Dole Philippines.
Attendees from private sector partners included Margot Torres, McDonald’s Managing Director and RMHC Vice President; Richard Faulkerson, Sr. or Daddy Bae, Owner Operator Representative, The Faulkerson Corp.; Anna Taruc, Key Account Senior Manager of Coca-Coca; Director; Mac Dormiendo, External Relations Manager, San Miguel Foods; Marie Angeles, RMHC Executive; Ronald Atanacio, Public Affairs Manager, Junae Ortega, Operations Manager; Emil Batuhan, Grace Quilop and Albert Adia, Operations Consultants; and other staff members of RMHC at McDonald’s.
Nograles stressed during the various food distribution events that the success of the program was due to close and sustained cooperation between the government and the private sector.
"Kailangan natin magtulungan. Fighting hunger, malnutrition and poverty is an everyday advocacy and one that our partners want to address long term, in coordination with government. We do this for the welfare of Filipino families," the former legislator explained.
