Bulacan, Philippines — Following the success of the Taysan Kusina, Republic Cement is expanding the “Kusina ng Kalinga” program to Norzagaray, Bulacan. Committed to building a Stronger Republic through stronger children, Republic aims to provide free nutritious meals to almost 2,000 schoolchildren with the opening of the Bulacan Kusina.
“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. This is 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, the first Kusina ng Kalinga in Batangas was setup in the Municipality of Taysan, involving parents and volunteers who prepare daily nutritious meals in a fully-functioning kitchen. These meals are then delivered to the schools and distributed to schoolchildren in their classrooms.
“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.” concluded Francis.