Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, together with private sector partners from Pilipinas Kontra Gutom, visited Zamboanga del Norte on Wednesday, February 17, 2021 to distribute free food packs in an effort he described as “an important measure to fight poverty and child malnutrition.”
Zamboanga del Norte is among 32 priority provinces included in the Zero Hunger Task Force which Nograles heads.
“We want to provide real and doable solutions to food security concerns that affect Filipino families, especially the young, in this crucial area in Mindanao. Together with our private sector partners, we are able to take steady steps in that direction,” the Malacañang official said.
Nograles led the turnover of 2,000 food packs from Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) and McDonald’s Kindness Kitchen to Governor Roberto Uy, provincial officials as well as LGU heads from Dipolog City. They were joined during the ceremony by RMHC Executive Director Marie Angeles.
“The Duterte administration and our private sector partners are ready to coordinate and assist our LGUs all over the country in the fight against hunger and poverty.”
The free meal packs included crispy chicken fillet, rice, and bottled water. These were made possible through assistance from other corporate partners – Coca-Cola Philippines, Dole Philippines, Metrobank, San Miguel Corporation and McDonald’s Philippines.
Nograles strongly encouraged the provincial and local governments to draft and implement programs that address the everyday food and nutrition needs of their constituents, among whom are farmers, fisherfolk, undernourished children.
“The Duterte administration and our private sector partners are ready to coordinate and assist our LGUs all over the country in the fight against hunger and poverty. The joint mandate of the Zero Hunger Task Force and PKG is to give access to livelihood programs, stabilize food security, and provide market access to our food producers to increase both their yields and incomes,” the former legislator from Mindanao emphasized.
The Cabinet Secretary revealed plans for regular feeding programs aimed at undernourished children, stressing that “malnutrition is one of the main causes of stunting in young people. It’s irreversible that’s why we need to urgently address the problem within the first two years of a child’s life.
“The joint mandate of the Zero Hunger Task Force and PKG is to give access to livelihood programs, stabilize food security and provide market access to our food producers to increase both their yields and incomes.”
Nograles likewise took the opportunity to discuss the government’s Covid-19 vaccine rollout program, which he described as “the first step in revitalizing the local economies in Mindanao and starting the process of normalizing lives disrupted by the ongoing pandemic.”