“In this country, every day, I witness a disaster,” Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Chairman and CEO Richard “Dick” Gordon remarked on the pressing issues of food insecurity and child malnutrition in the Philippines.
According to the 2021 Expanded National Nutrition Survey (ENNS) by the Department of Science and Technology – Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI), two percent of Filipino households are severely food insecure. This translates to over 500,000 households, as indicated by the Philippine Statistics Authority’s 2020 Census of Population and Housing (CPH). UNICEF reports that every day, 95 children in the Philippines succumb to malnutrition.
Addressing agricultural scientists from Southeast Asia at the International Society for Southeast Asian Agricultural Sciences (ISSAAS) conference on November 8 in Manila, Gordon urged them to collaborate with humanitarian leaders, including himself and the government, to “wage a war” against food insecurity and child malnutrition and emphasize the urgency of addressing these issues.
“PRC will concentrate on tackling malnutrition among zero-to-five-year-old children, a critical phase in a child’s development. During the first two months, the PRC plans to distribute food to children aged zero to five and those from impoverished households using its fleet of food trucks. Simultaneously, the PRC will train mothers or guardians on how to prepare nutritious food independently, providing them with sustainable livelihoods.” Gordon explained.
Gordon shared some of the PRC’s ongoing interventions related to food security and nutrition, including hot meal distribution during disasters through PRC’s Hot Meals on Wheels, food distribution to impoverished communities through the Food Donation Law (which he authored), the establishment of vegetable and fruit farms nationwide, and the deployment of payloaders to clear farms inundated by mud after typhoons or flooding.
Philippine Red Cross deploys its water tanker and hot meals food truck to flood-hit Misamis Occidental
Following the Christmas Day flooding across several parts of Mindanao, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) deployed a water tanker to meet the needs of communities who lost access to clean and safe drinking water. Five hundred families benefited from 10,000 liters of clean and safe drinking water distributed in Barangay Mansabay Bajo, Lopez Jaena, Misamis Occidental yesterday, December 31, 2022.
“Water is absolutely necessary to sustain life. After a hazard event, such as a flood, water sources may be damaged or compromised. That is why one of PRC’s first responses to people affected by disasters is the deployment of our water tankers,” PRC Chairman and CEO Richard J. Gordon said.
PRC was among the first groups to send humanitarian aid to Mindanao and Visayas after the shear line caused massive flooding on Christmas Day.
As of December 31, 2022, PRC has provided the following assistance to people affected by the flooding: emergency medical services to 137 persons, rescue and evacuation assistance to 193 individuals, including children, hot meals to 9,834 persons, health information and medicines to 87 people, food items to 138 families, psychological first aid to 1,961 adults and children, and hygiene education to 1,345 people.
The Philippine Red Cross, through its Manila Chapter, conducted a feeding program for the most vulnerable senior citizens. Donated meals from Novotel Araneta such as rice, longanisa, hamonado, beef steak, scrambled egg, fish filet, roasted chicken, pansit guisado, and tinapay were served to 38 senior citizen at Barangay 658 Intramuros, Manila on 19 November.
“Ang Philippine Red Cross ay tumutulong sa most vulnerable sa lahat ng pagkakataon hindi lang sa panahon ng sakuna o emergency. Kaya naman lubos akong nagpapasalamat sa Novotel sa walang sawa nilang pakikipagtulungan sa PRC sa pamamahagi ng pagkain sa mga vulnerable nating kababayan,” said PRC Chairman and CEO Richard J. Gordon.
Novotel Araneta is a long-time food donor of the PRC. During his first term as a senator in 2009, Chairman Gordon authored the Republic Act No. 9803 (RA9803) or the Food Donation Act of 2009, which aims to address the country’s growing hunger problem and bring dignity back to the most vulnerable simultaneously. Under this law, donors are encouraged to donate food for charitable purposes and to reduce food wastage. Chairman Gordon explained that the donors give untouched food from buffet tables, not leftover food.
PRC volunteers and staff bring the donated nutritious food to the homeless, children in poor communities, the elderly, abandoned prisoners, the sick, and other vulnerable groups.
As residents evacuated their homes due to rampaging floodwaters that hit the eastern part of Cagayan De Oro last Sunday afternoon, October 16, 2022, the Philippine Red Cross immediately deployed personnel and assets to help families whose houses were submerged, swept away, or completely destroyed by flood waters.
“Nagdeploy agad kami ng aming 6×6 rescue truck sa area para tumulong sa pag-evacuate, binisita namin ang mga evacuation centers at nagpadala rin kami ng aming food truck na may dalang bagong luto at mainit na pagkain. Dalawang daang katao sa Bugo National High School ang nabigyan namin ng pagkain,” said PRC Chairman and CEO Richard J. Gordon.
According to the PRC’s assessment team, 1,532 families were affected by the rampaging floodwaters, damaging 360 houses and taking the life of at least one person.
PRC also plans to distribute non-food items to help 340 families affected by the flooding in Brgy Bago.
As of 8:00 am today, June 8, 2022, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has deployed volunteers and members of its basic services teams to Juban, Sorsogon, in the wake of Mt. Bulusan’s eruption last Sunday, June 5.
The PRC Welfare Services Team, which set up two Welfare Desks, provided psychosocial first aid (PFA) to 699 adults and child-friendly activities designed as PFA to 76 children who fled the Mt. Bulusan eruption. A PRC food truck, called Hot Meals on Wheels, was deployed when the volcano erupted on Sunday, June 5, and has served hot meals to 714 individuals as of 8:00 am today.
The PRC Safety Services Team, which sent one ambulance unit with trained emergency medical services personnel, set up one First Aid station and is on standby to treat and transport patients to medical facilities if needed. The team has served 59 individuals who had their blood pressure taken and has treated three patients for minor injuries. The Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Unit has conducted a hygiene promotion activity for 136 individuals.
PRC Chairman and CEO, Senator Richard J. Gordon, is monitoring the situation in Juban and providing the necessary directions to PRC volunteers and staff. “Ang Philippine Red Cross volunteers at staff ay may kasanayan at laging handang rumesponde sa ating mga kababayan sa ganitong mga oras ng emergency,” Chairman Gordon said.M
