Kain Tayo Pilipinas launched to help address hunger and malnutrition

The private sector, in collaboration with non-government organizations (NGOs) and government partners, launches KAIN TAYO PILIPINAS, an initiative that invites everyone including the public to help feed more Filipino children and equip families with nutrition information to help alleviate malnutrition especially amongst children 5 years and below.

KAIN TAYO PILIPINAS is a flagship program under the Pilipinas Kontra Gutom (PKG) movement, led by private corporations, media, NGOs together with the Department of Education, DOST-FNRI, and the National Nutrition Council. Launched during Nutrition month, this is a new milestone in the journey of the multi-sectoral movement which aims to uplift Filipino lives and help achieve Zero Hunger.

Malnutrition could cause irreversible damages which can affect them for the rest of their lives. One in three Filipino children experience undernourishment, and more children are at risk due to the impact of the pandemic. The initiative aims to complement feeding initiatives with education on nutrition.

“The first 1,000 days of life are the most crucial to every child’s growth. We want to have nutritional intervention at the earliest stage because it’s not enough that Filipinos don’t go hungry, we also have to ensure that each individual is getting the right amount of nutrients to set them up for a healthy life,” shared KAIN TAYO PILIPINAS lead Kristine Go of Unilever Philippines.

The initiative is a collaboration of NGOS: ABS-CBN Foundation, GMA Kapuso Foundation, Kabisig ng Kalahi, Kusina ng Kalinga, Project Pearls, Rise Against Hunger, World Food Programme Philippines and Philippine Business for Social Progress; private sector companies: Aboitiz, Century Tuna, foodpanda, Grab, Johnson and Johnson, Lazada, McDonald’s, Nestle, PayMaya, SUN Business Network, Unilever, Universal Robina Corporation; media and digital partners: ABS-CBN, Academ-E, Facebook, GCash and GMA and communications and production partners: Publicis Groupe Philippines, Slingshot Manila, Film Pabrika and Greenbulb Communications

The three-fold approach of feeding, education and collaboration guides the movement in being able to holistically address the issue of hunger and malnutrition in the country. The feeding programs of the various organizations will be complemented by an education program to ensure that families are equipped to sustainably provide nutritious meals for everyone in the household. An analytics map will be utilized during the rollout to maintain zero overlap in the efforts of all participating partners of the movement. Another aspect is the call for the public’s participation to help reach more Filipino communities nationwide.

“It is very Filipino to use “Kain Tayo” as a greeting, and it is more often pleasantry rather than a real invitation to eat. We wanted to give a deeper meaning to this phrase, and it is our hope that by coming together and rallying all to help, we will be able to say “Kain Tayo” to millions of our hungry countrymen,” explains Publicis Groupe Philippines CEO, Ken Lingan.

Educating parents for sustained impact

Aside from providing meals, the initiative also covers teaching sessions and distribution of educational materials on breastfeeding, maternal and child supplementation, dietary diversity, low-cost fortified food, and sanitation to arm parents with knowledge they can apply everyday.

These educational efforts are aligned with the ongoing community and national nutrition programs developed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Department of Health’s National Nutrition Council (NNC) and Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI). Kain Tayo Pilipinas will produce NNC and FNRI-approved materials such as a Mother’s Book for self-care and proper dietary planning in the child’s first 1,000 days as well as educational videos to complement the discussions on-site.

“We are grateful for the unwavering commitment of the private sector to join the zero hunger movement. The Kain Tayo Pilipinas program will go a long way in addressing the hunger and malnutrition problems especially among mothers and children who are 5 years and below,” commends Task Force Zero Hunger (TZFH) chairman, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles.

Call for Public Participation

“Walang magugutom pag lahat tutulong” captures the big role that the public plays in ensuring that we meet our goals for Kain Tayo Pilipinas. The group behind this undertaking comes from different leanings and backgrounds and are united by a common purpose: to help alleviate hunger and the nutritional gap among Filipino children. “We encourage the public to join us by helping us spread the word and by providing monetary support,” explained Go.

Any individual can donate as low as P25 to help bring meals and educate more Filipinos.

The launch was graced by Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles who chairs Task Force Zero Hunger, National Nutrition Council Executive Director Dr. Azucena Dayanghirang, Private Sector Lead of Pilipinas Kontra Gutom Margot Torres, Kain Tayo Pilipinas Lead Kristine Go, and Mark Lawrence Cruz of Gawad Kalinga. Other guests included representatives from Aboitiz, ABS-CBN and ABS-CBN Foundation, Century Tuna, Facebook, foodpanda, GMA Kapuso Foundation, Grab, Johnson and Johnson, Kabisig ng Kalahi, Kusina ng Kalinga, Lazada, McDonald’s, Nestle, PayMaya, Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), Project Pearls, Rise Against Hunger, SUN Business Network, Unilever, Universal Robina Corporation (URC), World Food Programme Philippines.

Donate now via http://kaintayopilipinas.com/.

If you are a company or organization that wishes to contribute to eradicating hunger and malnutrition in the Philippines, contact us at [email protected]