PILIPINAS KONTRA GUTOM Lahat Kasali. Lahat Kasalo.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles Christmas is often referred to as the “Season of Giving,” that time of the year we mark by giving gifts to those we love, and by spending time with family, friends, and the people we care about. This season is especially precious to us Filipinos, who are known to start Christmas celebrations as soon as the “ber” months roll in. While this year has been a challenging one for all of us because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this has not stopped the country from putting up their parols and doing their best to make the most out of what has been a trying time for many. Despite the shadow cast by this unprecedented pandemic on our country, I cannot help but be encouraged and inspired by individuals and groups who, in the face of widespread adversity, have chosen to focus on the welfare of others – and to work to address the problems caused by COVID-19. One such problem is hunger, an issue exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Given this, the President has directed the government – via its agencies and task forces like the Zero Hunger Task Force (ZHTF), which I head – to step up efforts to identify “hunger hot spots” and take whatever actions necessary to address these. As I wrote in my previous columns, one of the strategies of the ZHTF to beat hunger is to utilize what we call a “whole of country approach,” and to mobilize different sectors in our efforts to address the various components of hunger. One such effort is Pilipinas Kontra Gutom (PKG), a multi-sectoral campaign that aims to address issues related to involuntary hunger, such as food production, food distribution and accessibility, and hidden hunger and malnutrition. In consecutive days in the last week of November, it spearheaded the distribution of hot meals to several cities in Metro Manila via the McDonald’s Kindness Kitchen (MKK), with support from Coca-Cola Philippines, San Miguel Corporation, Metrobank,and Dole Philippines. Together with representatives of the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) and mayors of participating cities, we handed over thousands of meals to schoolchildren from various public schools, augmenting what they already receive from Department of Education-led school-based feeding programs. The government is grateful for the generosity of these companies; this, I believe, is the kind of bayanihan, the kind of public-private partnership we need in these difficult times, especially during Christmas – the season for giving, for caring, for showing our love for the less fortunate.