World Food Day, which falls on October 16, is meant to promote worldwide awareness and action towards hunger and the future of food.

Did you know that there is a staggering 1,717 metric tons of food waste each day here in the Philippines? Believe it or not, this is the reality in the country according to the Department of Science and Technology–Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI). 

This number is alarming, especially when you consider that self-rated food poverty in the Philippines is at 34% as of July 2023. In fact, 38% of Filipinos surveyed by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) said they’re in “food borderline.” 

Awareness and concrete action are thus needed to combat the issues of hunger and food waste. This is what telecom company Globe is aiming to address with its Hapag Movement, which recently delivered 300 hot meals to a community in Marikina City in commemoration of World Food Day. 

Hapag Movement is a campaign that was launched in 2022 to address involuntary hunger in the country—which worsened during and after the pandemic.

Globe’s Hapag Movement Volunteer Activity in Marikina

Globe partnered with Scholars of Sustenance (SOS) PH and organized a volunteer activity in Barangay Concepcion Uno, Marikina City. During the activity, volunteers were able to prepare 300 hot meals, which were later distributed in Barangay Tumana. Among the beneficiaries are children belonging to low-income families. 

The volunteer activity was led by Globe employees, as well as Team Globe of Good influencers, who all worked together to prepare and deliver hot meals to beneficiaries.

“Through hands-on engagement, our volunteers actively participate in community initiatives, food drives, and educational programs that also tackle food waste,” says Yoly Crisanto, Globe Group’s Chief Sustainability and Corporate Communications Officer.

“By fostering a spirit of volunteerism, we not only contribute to immediate relief efforts but also empower communities to address the root causes of hunger and food waste in a sustainable manner,” she adds. 

The Role of Influencers and Content Creators in Advancing the Cause

Kerwin King, who is from Team Globe of Good, emphasized the important role that influencers and content creators play in addressing food waste and hunger. 

“To sustain the people’s interest in addressing food insecurity, it’s important for us to communicate,” he says. “Importante talagang gamitin ang social media like TikTok kasi napaka-powerful ng social media ngayon, but we have to be careful with misinformation para mas marami pa tayong ma-enganyong tumulong sa mga Pilipino.” 

[Translation: It is really important to use social media like TikTok because social media is very powerful these days, but we have to be careful with misinformation so we can encourage more people to help Filipinos.]

Why Other Companies Should Do the Same

Businesses play a huge role in addressing issues related to hunger, food waste, and even food security. Those with enough funding and reach should take inspiration from Globe’s Hapag Movement to help low-income families that experience food poverty. This can be done by conducting similar volunteer programs like the one done by the Hapag Movement. 

As Team Globe of Good’s Kerwin King pointed out, businesses can also opt to tap into the reach of influencers and content creators to advance causes. 

However, businesses can go beyond just creating awareness by adopting sustainable practices as well. Particularly, those in the food and beverage industry can minimize food waste or find sustainable ways to deal with leftovers and discarded ingredients.