The “Pilipinas Kontra Gutom” initiative of the government’s Task Force Zero Hunger distributed 2,000 free meals from the Ronald McDonald House Charities McDonald’s Kindness Kitchen in Bacolod City on Tuesday, Jan. 26.
The ceremonial turn-over of meals to Mayor Evelio Leonardia was led by Task Force Zero Hunger chairman and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles and RMHC Executive Director Marie Angeles in a program held the day before at the Bacolod Government Center.
“Tulad ng laban natin against Covid, tulad ng laban natin para makakuha ng vaccine, itong laban sa kagutuman kailangan din po magsanib puwersa (Just like our fight against Covid and our fight to secure the vaccine, we also need to join forces in the fight against hunger),” Nograles said in his message.
“We know that the problem brought by COVID-19 is the hunger problem,” he added.
Bacolod City is the first beneficiary of McDonald’s Kindness Kitchen meals in the Visayas as children from 15 villages and three other groups each received a meal of chicken fillet with rice and bottled water.
Some 100 beneficiaries in each of the 12 villages availed themselves of free meals. Three other villages had 200 beneficiaries each.
Other recipients were those staying in St. Mary’s Home for the Aged, Holy Infant Nursery Foundation Inc., and the city’s quarantine center.
Councilor Lady Gles Gonzales-Pallen, president of the Liga ang Mga Barangay, thanked the “Pilipinas Kontra Gutom” and the RMHC for their generosity.
“From the barangay captains of the 15 barangays and the 2,000 children who are recipients of the Kindness Kitchen meals, from the bottom of our hearts, madamo gid nga salamat (thank you very much). We will forever be grateful for your support and love to Bacolod City,” she said.
Aside from providing 2,000 meals distributed to various communities, the RMHC also provided meals to 100 local government unit volunteers.
McDonald’s has six stores in Bacolod, including the two franchise stores of couple Andrew and Michelle Antoinette Valencia of Bacolod CETUS Food Industries Inc.
The “Pilipinas Kontra Gutom” was launched by the Task Force Zero Hunger and its private partners in November last year, after which they have been collaborating with LGUs nationwide to distribute immediate reliefs for communities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent typhoons.
Its founding members include the country’s biggest corporations – Coca-Cola, Dole Philippines, J&J Philippines, McDonald’s, Metrobank, and San Miguel Corporation.
They pledged to provide meals for identified communities through the Ronald McDonald House Charities’ McDonald’s Kindness Kitchen.
As of Jan. 25, more than 400,000 meals have already been served across 33 areas. – NLG
