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Nearly 3 out of 10 Filipinos are hungry, but so much food is wasted. What can we do about it?

Cynthia Jean Batin was still a child when she began to be aware of food inequality. Her family owned an eatery and she would feel bad when customers had leftovers. Chicken was expensive! She herself wasn't able to have it often. How could other people just throw it away? Her grandparents on both sides had experienced extreme poverty during World War II. Because they couldn't afford food, they grew their own. Her mother had been forced to work in the fields too, which meant putting her own dreams aside to make sure her family was fed. On her father's side, Cynthia's grandparents produced the rice they ate. Without machinery, they did everything from preparing the land to harvesting the grain. So much work went into it even if harvest occurred only twice a year. They also had to make sure they produced enough rice to sustain their needs until the next harvest. Cynthia's generation was luckier. They could easily buy fruits and vegetables from the market instead of planting in the heat of the sun. Without having to work in the fields, she took up biology with a minor in microbiology and built a career for herself as an environmental sustainability professional. Despite not working with the land, she has kept her mother's words to heart: '[You must] value the labor people put into growing and preparing your food.' Ironically, Cynthia's professional life had her dealing with food waste on a daily basis. When she was a quality assurance analyst at a canning company, she would test the 'physico-chemical characteristics' of raw ingredients, whether through pH tests or taste tests, taking a tiny bite out of the food before throwing the rest away. After the ingredients were then processed and turned into 'high-value products', she would conduct similar tests, again throwing away the rest of the food she sampled. 'Depende siya kung gaano kadami 'yung production that day. Kunwari, meron kayong 30 batches. So 30 times five cans [ang tinatapon]. Eh usually hindi lang naman isang product 'yun. So ang daming product nun. So may mga 150 cans, and you're doing that every day,' Cynthia explains. ('It depends on how much was produced that day. For example, you have 30 batches. So 30 times five cans that you throw away. And usually you're not just producing one product. You're producing many products. So you're throwing away 150 cans, and you're doing that every day.') She also became an agricultural technologist at the Department of Agriculture. Once a farmer reported an infestation at the farm, her team would head there to collect samples. It was Cynthia's role to test pest diseases in the plants. ''Pag may nakita tayong insekto sa loob, although hindi naman siya directly makaka-cause ng diseases sa 'yo, pero dahil hindi siya aesthetically pleasing o nandidiri tayo sa uod, we just throw it away? So sa perspective ng farmers, since hindi rin naman siya kikita doon, hindi niya na mabebenta, itatapon na lang din siya,' she says. ('Isn't it that when we see insects inside our food, although they don't directly infect you with diseases, because it isn't aesthetically pleasing or insects gross us out, we just throw it away? So the farmers' perspective is, because they won't earn from it anyway, they won't be able to sell it anyway, they'll just throw it away.') Diverted from the landfill, surplus food feeds the hungry The issue of food waste is more pressing than ever, with nearly 30% of Filipinos facing involuntary hunger (meaning they are hungry and have nothing to eat). Is there a way to reduce what is discarded and match food still fit for human consumption with the hungry? We interviewed representatives from the government, the NGO space, and the private sector to find out how they're addressing the issue, as well as the impact they're making through these initiatives. The Department of Social Welfare and Development launched Walang Gutom Kitchen in December 2024 at the Nasdake Building along FB Harrison, Pasay City. A food bank, it reduces food wastage by turning surplus food from restaurants, hotels, and private retailers, among other partners, into 'hot and nutritious meals' for Filipinos who are experiencing involuntary hunger. Most of the people who sit down for a meal are families and individuals in street situations. According to Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao, who is also the DSWD spokesperson, they have served 83,528 free meals from December 16 to May 13. Restaurants have donated packed meals, private retailers have given away canned goods, and entire sacks of rice have been sent to Walang Gutom Kitchen. 'Hindi pa 'yan na-touch, hindi pa 'yan nailuto, hindi pa 'yan nai-prepare,' Dumlao clarifies in regard to the phrase 'surplus food.' '[As for the other donations,] these are food surplus sa mga restaurants. These haven't been served so [they're] individually packed.' ('These items have not yet been touched, cooked, or prepared. As for the other donations, these are food surplus in the restaurants. These haven't been served, so they're individually packed.') The meals are cooked by DSWD staff and volunteers in Walang Gutom Kitchen, and are then distributed at the serving area where clients queue up to get their food. They can then sit down and eat at any of the tables in the food bank. Dumlao says clients have expressed their appreciation for the immediate food assistance from the government. 'Sinasabi nila na malaking bagay na meron silang mapupuntahan na makakapag-provide ng kanilang pagkain.' ('They say that it's a big thing that they're able to go somewhere that can provide food for them.') The DSWD's partners, for their part, are glad to be able to reduce the food they throw away. 'Natutuwa nga 'yung mga partners natin because they are able to convert this into food that can still be consumed by people who are experiencing involuntary hunger,' Dumlao says. ('Our partners are glad because they are able to convert this into food that can still be consumed by people who are experiencing involuntary hunger.') 'Wala naman kaming masyadong pine-prescribe [na donations]. Ang importante, ito ay mailuluto pa, again, fit for consumption, hindi expired,' she says. ('We don't prescribe the kinds of donations they give. What's important is these can still be cooked, and again, they are fit for consumption and not expired.') Some partners also volunteer their time, spending the day at Walang Gutom Kitchen to man the registration area, to serve meals, or to keep the area clean. Anyone can donate or volunteer; they can just go directly to Walang Gutom Kitchen in Pasay City. The DSWD also has immediate plans to open another branch in northern Metro Manila, and in the future, to roll out the project in cities around the Philippines. Collaboration is key Nonprofit environmental organization Scholars of Sustenance Philippines (SOS) also banks on partnerships to be able to feed communities all over Metro Manila. Supermarkets under the Robinsons Retail Group are a major partner, and their surplus food reaches persons deprived of liberty under the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in Metro Manila, as well as low-income families in the region. This also helps partners lower their cost in disposing of surplus food, while minimizing their impact on the environment. According to the Climate Change Commission, when food waste ends up in landfills, 'it decomposes and releases methane, a greenhouse gas 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide in trapping heat.' This is why addressing food waste is crucial in the fight against climate change, the CCC adds. It was the negative environmental impact of sending food waste to landfills, as well as the amount of food waste produced by hotels and during events, that prompted Bo Holmgreen, a frequent traveler and leader of a software company, to establish SOS. Beginning in Thailand in 2016, he has since expanded the NGO to Indonesia and the Philippines. Walang Gutom Kitchen and SOS perform a similar function. The former does it at a fixed location, while SOS' operations are primarily carried out through their two refrigerated trucks. These vehicles are driven around the capital by SOS 'food rescue ambassadors' seven days a week. Since 2022, 1.1 million kilos of food have been rescued through these two trucks, brought from donors to communities. Hotels are another big partner, says Patricia Nucum Rabal, SOS fundraising and partnership manager. ''Yan 'yung mga hindi natin nakikita habang kumakain tayo na at the back of what we see in the buffet line, ang daming pino-produce para mukha siyang maaliwalas for us as consumers,' she says. ('That's what we don't see while eating. At the back of what we see in the buffet line, a lot of food is being produced so that it looks inviting for us as consumers.') Every week they are able to rescue about 4,000 to 5,000 kilos of food, which can feed about a thousand people. SOS' community partners are responsible for preparing this surplus food properly, as well as serving these to the beneficiaries belonging to the same community. 'We try to focus more sa mga… nakakalimutan na,' says Rabal. ('We try to focus more on the people who have been forgotten.') A standout donor is a condominium in Taguig City, with a resident having mobilized her neighbors into donating their surplus food at a designated date each month. Interested partners can reach out through Facebook. It starts at the beginning For the Jollibee Group, which covers 19 restaurant brands with 9,900 stores across 33 countries, reducing food waste begins at the manufacturing level. 'It's important to ensure processes are efficient, technology is continuously upgraded, and waste management practices are regularly reviewed so we can minimize waste right from the very beginning,' says Elise Veloso, Assistant Vice President for Sustainability of the Jollibee Group. They were able to reduce food waste in two 'key' ways. First, by changing the chicken processing sequence in one commissary (slicing the meat before marinating it, instead of marinating the meat before slicing it), so they could repurpose the off-spec cuts for other products. 'Off-spec' means they did not meet the specifications on size, quality, or color, among other things, but this did not mean that these items were no longer fit for human consumption. The second way was to minimize dough spillage in manufacturing by upgrading the equipment. 'These process improvements and technological updates led to better resource utilization and reduced overall waste,' Veloso explains. Sometimes, however, waste is unavoidable. 'Which is why effective waste management becomes essential,' she says. This is where the Jollibee Group's partnership with animal shelter Island Rescue Organization comes in. Meat waste becomes food for over 200 stray and abused animals. Veloso says they donate about 3.7 metric tons of food waste, 'still safe but no longer suitable for human consumption,' to the nonprofit monthly. They also partnered with organic waste management company Nutricycle, which uses black soldier flies to feed on food waste, then turn it into organic fertilizer. About 500 to 1,000 bags of fertilizer is estimated to be produced in a year, half of which will be given to the smallholder farmers who are part of the Jollibee Group's Farmer Entrepreneurship Program. These farmers grow onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, and other produce that the Jollibee Group then buys directly from them. 'The waste from our commissary is diverted from landfills and converted into fertilizer, with half of the total output to be donated to our FEP Farmers as an input. It's a great example of a circular economy in action,' Veloso says. About 51 metric tons of meat waste is projected to be processed monthly by Nutricycle, again diverting this from the landfill. The goal under their 'Joy for Tomorrow' sustainability agenda is to 'continue building momentum year after year,' says Veloso, so that their achievements, like the one in the Mang Inasal commissary in Marilao where zero waste had been sent to the landfill in 2023 and sustained in 2024, are replicated across the group. This can also be seen in the increase of general waste diverted from landfills from 2021 to 2024. In 2021, only 39.7 percent of general waste produced by 11 Philippine commissaries (out of the 16 that the Jollibee Group has worldwide) was diverted from landfills. This increased to 62.5 percent of general waste diverted from landfills in 2024. 'While diverting waste from landfills is critical, reducing the amount of waste generated in the first place is just as important,' Veloso says. In relation to this, she notes that since 2021, total waste production has remained at 10.47 million kilos even though their production has increased. As a result, their 'waste-to-output ratio' has improved, dropping from 82 percent in 2021 to 61 percent in 2024. 'This means the group is generating less waste for every unit of output produced.' Our responsibility Preventing food waste, or at least minimizing it, is within our power as well. Cynthia, the environmental sustainability professional whose family owned an eatery when she was a child, shares some tips she applies at home: Put only what you can finish eating on your plate. It's okay to repeat meals. Upcycle your 'ugly' food. Ugly vegetables? Turn them into delicious patties and balls. Overripe fruits? Turn them into bread. Your refrigerator and freezer are your leftovers' best friends. Cooked food can last for three to four days in the refrigerator at less than 10°C. When frozen at less than -18°C, it can last up to six months. The United States' developed a FoodKeeper App accessible through a database of raw and cooked foods and their recommended storage. Prepare only what is necessary. While there are recommended ways to manage leftovers, it is important to note that at the end of the day, prevention is still better than cure. We also mentioned Walang Gutom Kitchen and SOS Philippines' food rescue program, which are always looking for partners. Food nourishes us, but it can nourish so many other people without access to it. As we collaborate with each other and help various initiatives to scale, a world without hunger becomes less imaginary. We're able to take care of our planet, too. — LA, GMA Integrated News