Republic Cement has expanded its Gawad Kalinga (GK) project dubbed “Kusina ng Kalinga” following its successful first launching of “Taysan sa Kusina” last year.
More than 1,500 school children will now benefit from nutritious lunch meals in four elementary schools in Norzagaray, Bulacan this coming school year.
Committed to building a stronger nation through stronger children, Republic Cement aims to provide free nutritious meals to 1,500 schoolchildren during the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) Signing Ceremony and Stakeholders Engagement held at the Republic Cement Plant in Barangay Bigte, Norzagaray, Bulacan on Wednesday.
Ms. Vida Maya Rodriguez, Corporation Communication Manager of Republic Cement said that Kusina ng Kalinga is an anti-hunger and malnutrition prevention program that aids schoolchildren through free nutritious meals and parental education school-year long.
The program is one of the GK’s project supported by Republic Cement in cooperation with Department of Education (DepEd), Provincial Government of Bulacan and Municipality of Norzagaray.
Republic Cement is strengthening its efforts to address malnutrition by launching the Bulacan Kusina that aims to help over 3,000 children of Bulacan and Batangas.
The Bulacan Kusina will also have a stable supply of vegetables through agri-linkages with small farmers within the host and neighboring communities. This in turn creates livelihood for the local farmers.
“Last year, we were testing the waters to see whether this program would address hunger and malnutrition. We are happy to work with Gawad Kalinga once again because we continue to see how our vision is aligned and how we can work together towards our shared aspirations for a hunger-free Philippines,” said Republic Cement Services, Inc. President Nabil Francis
The Bulacan Kusina will be mounted in Timoteo Policarpio Elementary School where parents and volunteers can help prepare daily meals for the schoolchildren.
The program will initially feed approximately 1,500 schoolchildren from Timoteo Policarpio Elementary School, Banahaw Elementary School, Bigte Elementary School, and Apugan Elementary School.
The program also benefits local farmers from Bulacan. Local farmers are tapped to produce and supply fresh vegetables for the Kusina, giving them a chance to help and earn extra income. These farmers now join Gawad Kalinga, the Department of Education, and Republic Cement in the fight against hunger.
“Sustainability is one of the most important elements in the Kusina ng Kalinga project. In the long run, we want to empower our community partners to be self-sustaining and become stronger catalysts of progress within their respective communities,” said Francis. “By giving new opportunities for our local farmers, we are creating a more meaningful change.”
Kusina ng Kalinga is a program that aims to alleviate hunger and malnutrition among children in the Philippines, one community at a time. In 2017.
“We want to ensure that the foundation of this country, our youth, can be strong enough to lead the country in the future. This is aligned with our mission to build a Stronger Republic.” Francis ended.