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Pilipinas Kontra Gutom helps lower hunger incidence in the country

Pilipinas Kontra Gutom is a multi-sectoral movement of Task Force Zero Hunger with the public sector and 80 partner members from private corporations and non-government organizations working hand in hand to address the country’s concerns on involuntary hunger – food production and distribution, malnutrition, food surplus and immediate food needed during times of disasters.

Published

2 years ago

April 21, 2022

ZestMag.com Staff

More than a year after its launch in November 2020, Pilipinas Kontra Gutom (PKG) partners share milestones towards the movement’s goal of less hungry Filipinos.

Four-Fold Mission

Divide and conquer is one of the guiding principles of the movement. Multi-sectoral working groups were set up targeting specific beneficiaries and focused on different priorities toward achieving zero hunger in the country.

First priority is food availability and accessibility with the vision to elevate farming as a dignified, sustainable profession among smallholder farmers and other food producers. The goal is to increase farmer income by as much as 20% in the first year and double productivity by 2025. Key programs include the expansion of value chain projects by partner companies through capacity building and logistics improvement in the farm-to-consumer process.

Second is the nutrition adequacy goal. The group is eyeing zero undernourished Filipino children across all households by 2030. The key program to drive this objective involves a sustainable, nutrition education program for pregnant mothers that guides them during the first 1000 days of a child and teaches them how to build a healthy food culture at home through nutritious, delicious yet budget-friendly recipes for the family.

Food assistance and security during disasters is the third priority of the movement. A strengthened and synchronized public and private sectors’ disaster response initiatives during disasters to ensure efficient food distribution is the end in mind.

Food banking is the landmark project for availability and assistance which is the fourth priority. The aim is to establish an effective food banking system in Metro Manila that will help supply and ensure a sustainable flow of food to communities in need.

Milestones

On food availability and accessibility, 4,000 farmers and agripreneurs have been assisted through programs such as Nestle and GIZ’s Project Coffee+, TESDA-Nestle’s Coffee Farmer Scholarship Program, Cargil’s Yellow Corn Project with Aboitiz, Cargill, Bayer, Pilmico, Vitarich, Save the Children and PPSA, and Learning Series led by Jollibee Group Foundation with Harbest and PPSA. These initiatives have benefitted communities in Cagayan, Bukidnon, Sultan Kudarat and CAR, and helped enable local growers with capacity building, best practices on value chain, and income growth assistance. For the Corn Project alone, improved production and resiliency resulted in corn farmers increasing income by at least 10%. For Project Coffee+, the average yield of 1,500 coffee farmers has doubled and the average income has tripled.

Another program that helps with food availability and accessibility is Feed Back, a community-based vegetable exchange, that helps solve hunger in just 5 weeks. It creates a path for families to source food from their backyards, exchange excess produce with their neighbors, and sell to their own community, nearby villages and towns. The program paves way to new entrepreneurs and new local, regenerative and equitable food systems. To date, 11 communities have graduated from Feed Back and 26 communities are currently starting or implementing it. Community partnerships grew by 5x and span 7 provinces. In the 37 communities, ARK Feed Back is helping a total of 9,785 families and transforming 43,742 lives.

On nutrition adequacy, Kain Tayo Pilipinas, a public-facing campaign, had been launched last July 2021 to promote public awareness of the issue of malnutrition and drive participation in the advocacy through donations. The campaign raised a total amount of PHP 1.5 million to date from individual public donors and corporate donations from Fluor, Greenbulb Communications, Johnson & Johnson, McDonald’s, Publicis Groupe, Teleperformance and Unilever. More than P25 million worth of media values were also given by ABS-CBN, GMA and Facebook for the campaign. Details of the campaign can be found at kaintayopilipinas.com. The donations will be used to fund the roll-out of the First 1000 days nutrition education program in hotspot areas under the adequacy goal.

On-ground partners World Food Programme, Gawad Kalinga, Kabisig ng Kalahi, Rise Against Hunger, Project Pearls, ABS-CBN Foundation, GMA Foundation, Department of Social Welfare and Development, and Nutrition Council of the Philippines have all been trained on the First 1000 days nutrition education materials and how to cascade to their beneficiaries.

In the area of assistance during times of crisis, the group collaborates with local and national organizations, corporations, civil society groups and local government units to execute efforts for the victims of calamities, and pre-evacuation for typhoon affected families.

In November 2020, PKG founding members – Coca-Cola, Dole Philippines, Johnson & Johnson Philippines, McDonald’s, Metrobank and San Miguel, initially pledged 100,000 meals for identified communities in NCR and key priority areas. To date, 110, 765 meals have been distributed.

A Mobile Kitchen was set up in Eastern Visayas to provide nutritious meals to 1,000 children for a month-long period. As of today, a total of 27,000 meals were already distributed. Communities in Jipapad, Hirnani and San Julian, Eastern Samar were covered by this initiative.

In addition, Kain Tayo sa Pasko Hot Meals donation drive which ran from November 2021 to February 2022 was able to provide 1,900 noche buena packages, 11,230 meals, 132,076 assorted items (milk, chocolates, peanut butter, sinigang mixes), and 28,992 canned goods have been distributed to beneficiaries. These areas include NCR, Cebu, Davao, Dinagat Islands, Ifugao, Iloilo, Pampanga, Siargao, and Surigao.

Meanwhile, 63,600 meals and 11,714 food packs were served in affected areas in Visayas and Mindanao for Typhoon Odette efforts. Agusan Del Norte, Bohol, Cebu, Dinagat Islands, Eastern Samar, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Palawan, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Surigao and Siargao are the areas reached by the Typhoon Odette efforts.

These were made possible through the contributions of Century Pacific, Coca-Cola, Dole Philippines, Gawad Kalinga, Johnson & Johnson, Jollibee Group Foundation, Manila Water Foundation, Metrobank Foundation, Mondelez, Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation, RFM, Ronald McDonald House Charities, San Miguel Corporation, Supply Chain Management Association of the Philippines, Tanging Yaman Foundation and Unilever.

On availability of food surplus and repurposing it through assistance, a food bank portal has been set up by this team where companies and groups can key in their food surplus to be distributed via the Assistance workstream. Through the collaboration of DOLE, Grab, San Miguel Corporation, URC, Scaling Up Nutrition and Supply Chain Management Association of the Phils., the goal is to establish an effective food banking system that will help supply and sustain food to communities in need.

Lahat kasali, lahat kasalo.

To date, the movement has reached more than 450,000 Filipinos across its four-fold mission where incidences of hunger and malnutrition are high.

In a recent PKG gathering, Task Force Zero Hunger Chair, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles shared that the hunger incidence in the country has improved. “The Philippines also improved its ranking in the 2021 Global Hunger Index. The Philippines ranked 68th out of 116 countries. With a score of 16.8, we have a level of hunger that is moderate. This is a notch higher than in the 2020 GHI when we ranked 69th with a score of 19.0,” shared Chair Nograles.

PKG invites every Filipino to help. Lahat kasali, lahat kasalo. Individuals may visit kaintayopilipinas.com for details and private corporations, non-profit organizations and groups who would like to be part of the movement may send an email to pkg@ph.mcd.com.

Related Topics:corporate social responsibility health wellness

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Pru Life UK named International Life Insurer of the Year

Published

5 days ago

November 24, 2023

ZestMag.com Staff

Insurance Asia Awards, one of the prestigious recognition programs honoring the most outstanding insurance companies in Asia Pacific, cited Pru Life UK as the International Life Insurer of the Year – Philippines for the third year. The award-giving body recognized Pru Life UK’s innovations, new products, strategic partnerships, and community investment initiatives related to youth financial literacy, climate health risk management, and OFW protection.

“We are deeply honored to receive this coveted award for the third time in a row. Our heartfelt thanks to our employees, agency force, distribution partners, and more especially, our loyal customers for this remarkable feat,” said Allan Tumbaga, Pru Life UK Executive Vice President and Chief Customer & Marketing Officer.

Adding to its growing list of accolades, Pru Life UK was also conferred with a Bronze Stevie at the recent Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards for the Innovation in Internal Corporate Events category. The Byaheng PRU Engagement Program, a project of its Employee Welfare Committee, has been instrumental in fostering collaboration among employees from various divisions and empowering over 900 full-time employees to lead their own company-wide initiatives for growth and success.

Empowering Filipinos through financial inclusion and affordable protection

Over the past years, Pru Life UK has championed financial awareness, literacy, and inclusion among Filipinos through innovative insurance products.

One such product, PRUHealth FamLove, is a pioneering critical illness protection plan that covers up to 4 family members in a single policy, including adopted families, cohabiting couples, and same-sex partners.

Furthermore, through strategic partnerships with popular e-commerce platforms GCash and Shopee, Pru Life UK has made bite-sized insurance products even more accessible to its customers.

“These recognitions inspire us to continue fulfilling our commitment to helping more Filipino families live healthier and wealthier. With our over 40,000 digitally empowered agency force, we remain dedicated to putting our customers at the heart of everything we do by providing inclusive and affordable products addressing their diverse needs,” said Tumbaga.

These awards mark another milestone for Pru Life UK as Prudential plc, its parent company, celebrates its 175th anniversary, including 100 years in Asia.

NewsMakers

Pru Life UK, Prudence Foundation partner with ASSIST for Project Padayon

The project which is funded by Prudence Foundation’s COVID-19 Recovery Grant aims to help uplift the lives of residents of Bantayan Island, Cebu through a series of community-based training and development programs.

Published

1 week ago

November 20, 2023

ZestMag.com Staff

Pru Life UK and Prudence Foundation, the community investment arm of Prudential plc in Asia and Africa, have joined hands with the Asia Society for Social Improvement and Sustainable Transformation (ASSIST) for Project Padayon Bantayan Island.

“We’ve been supporting the Bantayan Island community for almost a decade now and we are happy to see how it has grown. With Project Padayon, we are positive that it will bring transformative improvements, enabling the residents to thrive in multiple aspects of their lives,’’ says Marc Fancy, Executive Director, Prudence Foundation.

Project Padayon will run from 11 July to 1 December 2023 and include workshops focused on micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) empowerment, family health and nutrition, jobs and careers, disaster risk preparedness, and climate change resilience. Participants will receive modules that will be cascaded to up to 2,000 students and community members.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to partner once more with Pru Life UK and Prudence Foundation. This partnership aims to empower the residents of Bantayan Island through a comprehensive learning program that will touch on different topics like financial well-being, health, and disaster resilience to help them prepare for the future,’’ says Francis Macatulad, Executive Director, ASSIST.

The project will culminate with an appreciation and recognition program in December, followed by a Pamaskong Handog with Habitat for Humanity communities that Pru Life UK and Prudence Foundation helped build after typhoon Yolanda

Transforming lives in Bantayan Island

The project was launched at Beach Placid Resort in Santa Fe, Cebu and was attended by local government unit representatives and community leaders of Bantayan Island.

“We are happy to be back in Bantayan Island and see familiar faces. At Pru Life UK, it is our mission to help Filipinos get the most out of life. This project is a big opportunity for us to fulfill our commitment to help Filipinos lead healthier and wealthier lives,’’ says Gizelle Camua, Vice President for Community Investment and Advocacy, Pru Life UK.

Close to 100 micro-entrepreneurs joined a workshop with the theme “MSME Empowerment.” Attendees received modules on business management, finance, and digital marketing materials, which will also be cascaded to 1,000 other micro-entrepreneurs. They also learned best practices from young local entrepreneurs that shared their real-life experiences.

In addition, over 80 mothers with their newborns were given free PRUMedCare Select Infectious Disease coverage plan as part of the PRUBabies campaign. The coverage offers cash assistance for diagnosis and death due to any of the four common types of infectious diseases: dengue, typhoid, measles, and malaria.

Propelling impactful conversations

Project Padayon is a continuing initiative rooted in Pru Life UK and Prudence Foundation’s commitment to developing Filipino lives through impactful conversations on the importance of financial literacy and health awareness.

Pru Life UK has been actively involved in aiding Bantayan Island since 2013 by means of humanitarian initiatives, including gift-giving programs, the provision of essential food packages, and the establishment of water supply networks alongside the deployment of portable ultrasound machines.

The same year, Pru Life UK and Prudence Foundation launched Build Better Now. The project brought PRUVolunteers all over Asia and the United Kingdom to build 126 disaster-resilient homes and disseminate 183 motorized boats with fishing nets and 140 cycle pedicabs to Yolanda survivors on the island. Build Better Now ran until 2017 and earned the Award of Merit under the Communications Management – Corporate Social Responsibility category.

NewsMakers

RLC Residences gets global recognitions in Dubai

The awards also came in time for the brand’s efforts to expand its network in Dubai, as RLC Residences prepares to open its new office in the city. This strategic move aims to provide delightful customer service to investors and homebuyers in the Middle East region who have long supported the brand and its projects.

Published

1 week ago

November 20, 2023

ZestMag.com Staff

In a promising kickoff to the month, the residential division of Robinsons Land Corporation, RLC Residences, has clinched two prestigious awards for its dedication to constructing beautiful, well-designed condominiums in the Philippines.

Dubai-based International Business Magazine Awards hailed RLC Residences as the recipient of Real Estate Developer of the Year Philippines and Best Property Development Company in the Philippines 2023 during its recent awarding ceremony at Atlantis The Palm, Dubai. The annual awarding ceremony honors the extraordinary accomplishments of companies from various sectors such as real estate in the Middle East, Europe, Asia, Africa, and America.

“It is an honor to receive international recognitions like these for RLC Residences. We are proud of the work that we do and of our commitment to building nurturing condo spaces so our homeowners can design and live their best lives. Thank you so much, International Business Magazine Awards, for recognizing our efforts to Raise, Live, and Connect not just here in the Philippines but also in other parts of the world,” says Karen Cesario, RLC Residences Senior Director, Marketing Head and Chief Integration Officer.

Now in its 6th year, the International Business Magazine Awards annually highlights the exemplary endeavors of corporations that consistently demonstrate exceptional leadership abilities. This UAE-based online publishing company continuously strives to acknowledge and appreciate the hard work and dedication to achieving success in the competitive world of international business.