PLDT and Smart join PBSP's The Hunger Project, together with other organizations to help raise child nutrition in Negros Occidental
PLDT and its wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) have helped reverse the malnutrition of hundreds of children in Negros Occidental, through their assistance to the Negros Occidental Nutrition Alliance (NONA).
Formed under The Hunger Project of the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), of which PLDT and Smart are members, NONA worked with international nonprofit organization Give2Asia to implement the Mingo Meals Nutrition Program.
Through the Mingo Meals Nutrition Program, which was implemented by the Negrense Volunteers for Change (NVC), a member of the NONA, 500 malnourished children from the towns of San Carlos, Don Salvador Benedicto, San Enrique, and Barangay 19 in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental were fed and monitored for six months, with NVC reporting an average success rate of 87% across all indicators by the end of the program.
“Food security and livelihood are key pillars of PLDT and Smart’s social sustainability. This is why we continue to not only conceptualize and implement our own technology-driven programs that prioritize solutions against hunger and malnutrition, but we also support like-minded alliances like NONA and The Hunger Project,” said Cathy Yang, First Vice President and Group Head of Corporate Communications at PLDT and Smart.
Under its commitment to help promote food security, the PLDT Group also recently turned over nine metric tons of rice to non-profit organization Rise Against Hunger Philippines, as part of its 'Rice Together' program, which will help feed over 19,000 families in Manila, Pasig, and Laguna.
PLDT and Smart continuously promote food security and livelihood through its initiatives Buy Local, Rice Together, PlantSmart, FarmSmart, Digital Farmers’ Program, and eBiznovation. These programs underscore the Group’s commitment to nation building and are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals #1 No Poverty, #2 Zero Hunger, #3 Good Health and Well-Being.
