Thousands of families receive food packs from Pilipinas Kontra Gutom

Ronald McDonald House of Charities (RMHC) representatives and other sponsors of Pilipinas Kontra Gutom and officials of the Municipality of Magarao in a photo op with Cab Sec. Karlo Alexei Nograles (2nd from left) and Magarao Mayor Philip Salvador A. Senar (3rd from left) during the turn-over ceremony of McDonalds meal to the said municipality, Feb. 17, 2021.   (JRM-PIAV/Camarines Sur)

NAGA CITY, Feb. 25 (PIA)—President Rodrigo Duterte’s National Food Policy thru the Inter-Agency Task Force on Zero Hunger was able to reach out to more than 4,000 Camarinenses during the one day turn over of meals to the municipality of Magarao and Iriga City, Feb.19, Friday.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Alexei Nograles, Chairman of Task Force Zero Hunger delivers his message during the turnover of meal to residents of San Vicente, Iriga City, Camarines Sur under McDonalds Kindness Kitchen in support of Pilipinas Kontra Gutom, Feb. 17, 2021. (KBernadas-PIA5) 

No less than Cabinet Secretary and Task Force Zero Hunger Chief, Karlo Nograles led the simple ceremony of distributing the packed meals courtesy of McDonalds Kindness Kitchen to 2,100 residents coming from five (5) coastal barangays of Magarao, Camarines Sur in the morning and 2,000 food packs for the constituents of San Vicente, Iriga City, in the afternoon.

Nograles extended his gratitude to McDonalds for the McDonalds Kindness Kitchen project as a response to the call of the government to end hunger.

“Alam naman natin na tumataas ang bilang ng mga nagugutom sa bansa, dala ng sakit na COVID-19. Ito ang naging pinaka-epekto ng COVID sa ating bansa, tumaas ang bilang ng mga nagugutom, tumaas ang nawalan ng trabaho, tumaas ang bilang ng mga naghihirap na ating mga kababayan. Kaya nga po kailangan na natin tapusin ang COVID-19 (Due to COVID-19, we know that there are lot of Filipinos suffering from hunger. This is the effect of COVID-19, the increasing number of families anguishing from hunger, increase of unemployment, the increasing number of Filipinos who also remain in poverty.  That’s why we need to end COVID-19). "

Nograles also acknowledged the support of the provincial government of Camarines Sur thru Gov. Miguel Villafuerte and the support of the Local Government Units to the Pilipinas Kontra Gutom (PKG) program, including private companies as patrons like McDonald Philippines, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Coca-Cola, Metro Bank, Dole Philippines, and San Miguel Corp.

“Itong PKG, ito ang pagsasanib pwersa  ng ating gobyerno at pribadong sektor para labanan ang problema ng kagutuman (PKG is where the government and the private sectors join forces to end hunger)," Nograles added. 

Photo credits: KBernadas, (PIA5) 

Gov.Villafuerte, who also joined the event expressed his gratefulness to the national government for selecting Camarines Sur as one of the priority provinces in fighting against poverty and hunger.

Also present during the occasion are RMHC and McDonald's Owners and Operators; Allan Rañola, Jeremy Lo, Jeanette Lo, Ronald Atanacio, Public Affairs Manager. 

Representatives from Metrobank, Maria Celeste Lasola-Area Head of South Region VI, Phil Bondoc-Branch Head, Naga Main, Maila J. Peña-Branch Head, Naga  Peñafrancia and Iriga City Vice Mayor Rex Oliva.

Nograles stressed that the distribution of packed meals is one of the many ways where the government can help the poor during this time of pandemic. This, he said is also one of the components of Pilipinas Kontra Gutom.

Pilipinas Kontra Gutom is a multisectoral movement involving the government, the academe, non-profit organizations, private corporations, and the public. It seeks to address issues related to involuntary hunger such as food production, food distribution and accessibility, and hidden hunger and malnutrition––including food shortages during times of crises. (PIA5/Camarines Sur)

 

 

Source: Philippines Information Agency (pia.gov.ph)