Unilever Philippines recently marked 22 years of advocating for nutrition through its Nutrition business, spearheaded by Knorr. At a recent event in Taguig coinciding with the country’s Nutrition Month, the company set an ambitious goal to improve the lives of 15 million people by 2030 through its Knorr Nutri-Sarap and Makulay ang Buhay programs.
The event brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, including government agencies like the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Department of Education, and the Department of Science and Technology Food and Nutrition Research Institute. Other participants included the Philippine Association of Nutritionists, Nutritionist-Dietitians' Association of the Philippines, and Gawad Kalinga. Knorr's ambassador, Abi Marquez, demonstrated cooking techniques and discussed the impact of home-cooked meals on nutrition.
Unilever Philippines Chairman and CEO Fredy Ong emphasized the company's commitment to sustainability, highlighting that all agricultural ingredients for their Nutrition business are sustainably sourced, which supports Filipino farmers and the environment.
“Our Nutrition business’ agricultural ingredients from the Philippines are 100% sustainably sourced, thereby contributing to the livelihood and continued upskilling of Filipino farmers. Previous investments made in efficient manufacturing operations have a positive impact on the value chain and help reduce our overall impact on the environment. We take great care on how we bring our products to consumers, from farm to fork,” shared Ong.
At the event, Knorr brand representatives reported that the Nutri-Sarap and Makulay ang Buhay programs have already reached 12.5 million lives. They announced plans to enhance these efforts by introducing an improved Nutrition Education toolkit to be used nationwide.
Marinelle Villanueva, head of Unilever Philippines’ Nutrition Business Unit, expressed confidence in the continued growth of their nutrition advocacy, aiming to empower more communities across the Philippines over the next decade.
“Each nutritious, delicious, and affordable recipe shared and each household empowered through education, contributes to a healthier future for our country. We are very proud and very grateful that while Knorr and Unilever Nutrition has championed this for the last 22 years, the next decade will be brought to life by more nutrition advocates across the country,” shared Villanueva.
The event concluded with a commitment ceremony, where attendees pledged to support better nutrition for Filipinos.