WHEn disaster strikes, food is among the first and most immediate needs of affected communities. To help bring hot meals to people when regular food supplies are disrupted, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has received a P1.7-million Toyota Tamaraw food truck from Metrobank Foundation, bringing PRC’s nationwide food truck fleet to 42.
PRC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Richard Gordon said the food truck is not only a disaster-response asset, but can also help address hunger and malnutrition.
‘This is another inch of survival against hunger. We are not just giving people food; we are easing their hunger and giving them the assurance that there will be food when they need it. This is not only for disasters. We can also bring it to communities where children are malnourished. If a child is malnourished, he is not going to learn much and his growth will be stunted,’ Gordon said.
The locally produced Toyota Tamaraw can navigate narrow streets in Metro Manila and other key cities while reaching far-flung rural communities. The P1.7-million donation covers its conversion into a fully equipped mobile kitchen, including cooking, water, sanitation, power, and LPG systems.
PRC’s hot meals program incorporates nutrition, with volunteer nutritionists and dietitians from different PRC chapters helping develop menus for food truck operations.
‘Natutuwa kami dahil ito ang unang donation ng Metrobank na food truck. And this is another colorful chapter in our continuing story with the Philippine Red Cross, and we look forward to more collaborations in the years ahead,’ Metrobank Foundation President Philip Francisco U. Dy said.
PRC Secretary General Gwendolyn Pang shared the same sentiments, emphasizing the value of the partnership in addressing community needs and gaps. She also expressed PRC’s appreciation to the Metrobank Foundation for its continued support.
The donation builds on the longstanding partnership between PRC and the Metrobank Group, which has provided P65 million in support over the past decade. Under the leadership of Metrobank Chairman Arthur Ty and GT Capital Holdings Vice Chairman Alfred Ty, and building on the legacy of their father and Metrobank founder George Ty, the Group and its foundations have continued to support initiatives that respond to critical needs and strengthen communities.