Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles joined officials of Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) in giving 2,000 free meals in Imus, Cavite on Thursday, in what the official described as “a continuing partnership with key private sector partners that addresses the need to provide nutrition and hope to people.”
Nograles heads the government’s Zero Hunger Task Force.
The event, held at the Maliksing Kabataan Building Children and Youth Development Center, was a key highlight for the start of 2021 for Pilipinas Kontra Gutom (PKG), a multi-sectoral coalition aimed at addressing the problem of involuntary hunger in the country under the Duterte administration’s National Food Policy.
“Food expenses make up a large chunk of a Filipino family’s income. We want to ease the burden of our kababayans (countrymen) by providing free food through partnerships with nongovernment stakeholders and LGUs. We all share the goal of achieving zero hunger and boosting the nutritional needs especially of our children,” the Malacañang official explained.
He was joined by Imus City Mayor Emmanuel Maliksi in distributing hot meal packs prepared by McDonald’s Kindness Kitchen which included crispy chicken fillet, rice and bottled water.
They were accompanied by Margot Torres, McDonald’s Managing Director and RMHC Vice President, Ronald Atanacio, Public Affairs Manager, Mildred Tungala, Operations Manager, Paritz Corpuz and Christian Billones, both Operations Consultants.
Aside from Ronald McDonald House Charities, the event was made possible through the assistance of Coca-Cola Philippines, Metrobank, San Miguel Corporation and Dole Philippines.
Maliksi thanked Nograles and the private sector donors, saying that “our welfare and nutrition partners are always welcome here in Cavite. Count us in as active supporters of the Task Force Zero Hunger and Pilipinas Kontra Gutom.”
For his part, Nograles reiterated the administration’s effort to address food and poverty concerns, emphasizing that the food distribution activity was but a component of a larger and more comprehensive government program to stabilize food supply, achieve food security, address hunger and poverty, and improve the lives of Filipinos.
“Food is an everyday concern, that’s why our assistance in that regard should be an everyday priority,” the former legislator stressed.
