Republic Cement represents the private sector during the #ENDHUNGERSUMMIT2017
President Nabil Francis highlights the success of its pioneer program Kusina ng Kalinga
Education and sustainability proves to be key success factors of Kusina ng Kalinga
Public sector and private sector urged to work together and create more sustainable solutions to malnutrition in the Philippines
MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Republic Cement represented the private sector during the recently concluded #ENDHUNGERSUMMIT2017 organized by Gawad Kalinga. In line with its vision of building #StrongerKids for a #StrongerRepublic, President Nabil Francis gave highlights on the success of its pioneer program, Kusina ng Kalinga.
“Through Kusina ng Kalinga, we are able to educate our partner beneficiaries, encourage community involvement, and create a livelihood,” said Francis. “Our main goal is to impart a sustainable solution to the issue of malnutrition — not just a quick fix that would not address the long-term needs of our partner communities.”
With the help of Gawad Kalinga, Republic identified Taysan, a remote community in Batangas, as their first partner beneficiary. The lack of proper education was the main issue in the community. With less access to quality education, majority of the parents and children were unaware of what a healthy meal consists of.
The program started with building the first kusina, a community space fully equipped with kitchen amenities and utilities, in Taysan. Republic also partnered with four elementary schools in the community and conducted workshops in the kusina, highlighting that proper nutrition also starts with knowing what goes inside the food they prepare.
To measure the impact of the program, the students’ body mass indexes (BMIs) were measured in June and November. Below were the results:
In just six months, Republic has seen a 100% increase in healthier kids. To strengthen its commitment to nourishing a healthier republic, Republic is setting up another Kusina in Bulacan in 2018. And because education played a big role with the success of the program, Republic is also expanding the kusina in Taysan to include more utilities and facilities.
Nabil called on the private sector and the public sector to continue working together to alleviate the issue of malnutrition. If the nation can work together to solve the issue, perhaps it can be done with even more impact. For Republic and Gawad Kalinga, this translated into healthier children in the community of Taysan.
“If we can add little cents to make this world a better place, then we are ultimately investing in the future which aligns with our vision of building a Stronger Republic, said Francis. “After all, Stronger Kids make for a Stronger Republic.”