END HUNGER !!! NATIONAL NUTRITIONAL COUNCIL /DOH

“End hunger!” was the battle cry during the concert organized by the National Nutrition Council (NNC) of the Department of Health on 19 July 2013 at the Music Hall of SM Mall of Asia. The event raised awareness on the hunger situation in the country and the actions that can be done by everyone. The concert is one of the major events in this year’s Nutrition Month celebration keeping in line with its theme, “Gutom at malnutrisyon, sama-sama nating wakasan!” With over 1,000 attendees, the two-hour concert gathered various stakeholders who pledged to work together to put an end to hunger and malnutrition. According to NNC Executive Director Assistant Health Secretary Maria-Bernardita T. Flores, the concert is the first that the NNC has organized. “We believe that we can unite people to end hunger through the universal language of music.” Flores added that “we need people to know that many go to bed hungry and that each and everyone, not just the government, can do something to end this injustice.” Singer Nikki Gil together with Luis “Lucky” Manzano served as the event hosts. Guests “Aleng Maliit” Ryzza Mae Dizon danced to her hit song “Chacharap” and folk singer and composer Noel Cabangon sang the National Year of Rice theme song to promote the conservation of rice and use of rice alternatives. Acoustic singer Princess Velasco also entertained the audience and pledged her own commitment to end hunger. The Dancing DOH Assistant Secretary Eric Tayag also graced the event with his pop dance and the Palay Dance as part of the National Year of Rice campaign. The concert came in full blast as singer Bamboo Mañalac brought the house down with his hit songs. One of the highlights of the night’s affair was the showing of video clips of solidarity for the End Hunger campaign from Senator Grace Poe, Senator Pia Cayetano, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, Association of Nutrition Action Officers of the Philippines President Carmencita Abalos, and National Capital Region Barangay Nutrition Scholars Federation President Concepcion Benosa.

BUSINESS WORLD ON HUNGERJULY 27 2009

ONE IN FIVE FAMILIES GO HUNGRY

HUNGER IS AGAIN ON THE RISE WITH THE SOCIAL WEATHER STATIONS SAYING A FIFTH OF ALL FILIPINO FAMILIES EXPERIENCE HAVING NOTHING TO EAT AT LEAST ONCE IN THE PAST 3 MONTHS.

A NEW SWS SURVEY, THE RESULTS OF WHICH WERE MADE EXCLUSIVE TO THE BUSINESS WORLD PUT THE HUNGER FIGURE AS OF JUNE THIS YEAR AT 20.3% EQUIVALENT TO AN ESTIMATED 3MILLION FAMILIES

THE RECORD HIGH OF 23.7% 4.3 MILLION FAMILIES RECORDED IN DECEMBER LAST YEAR

SEVERE HUNGER REFERRING TO THOSE WHO EXPERIENCED IT OFTEN OR ALWAYS WAS RELATIVELY STABLE AT 4.3% 790000 FAMILIES.

NATIONWIDE ALL THREE INDICATORS OVERALL MODERATE AND SEVERE HUNGER ARE ABOVE 10 YEAR AVERAGE

FROM JEAN PIERRE PREVOST

This Week in Focus
God provides more than we need
July 26, 2009 | Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
It’s hard to believe, but the statistics are just as shocking as they are dreadful: in our day and age, some 800 million people still suffer from malnutrition or starvation, and 18,000 children die from hunger every day. How can hunger remain such a glaring plague, when our society claims unparalleled living standards and unequalled sophistication in technology?

In biblical times, people struggled with famine and starvation, and we hear the prophets speak about the unequal distribution of wealth and food. Prophets like Amos, Isaiah and Jeremiah were quick not only to denounce such inequality and inequity, but also to propose alternatives based on commitment to social justice and compassion for the poor. And they didn't just talk about social justice and compassion. The prophet Elisha multiplied loaves, as did Jesus, for the starving crowds.

Through these prophets, we learn that our God is a life-giving God, who cares for hungering crowds. And when God gives, God always gives over-abundantly: “They shall eat and have some left.”

Be it through a prophet like Elisha or through God’s beloved son, Jesus, God always provides more than we need, for God wants us to be restored to our dignity as human beings and to fullness of life. We too, who are privileged to have all the food we need and more, can make a difference by sharing with the less fortunate.

Jean-Pierre Prévost

BEYOND TIMELESSNESS

LOOK BEYOND TOMORROW

FOR TOMORROW COMES TOO SOON

LOOK BEYOND TOMORROW

FOR TOMORROW MAY NEVER COME

LOOK BEYOND

FOR IN THE TIMELESSNESS OF

OF YOUR BEYOND

IS GOD

AND ETERNITY

LET GOD BE GOD

HOW DO YOU LOOK TO THE TRUTH
THAT IS DEEPER THAN HUMAN REALITY ?

DOES EVERY ONE STRUGGLE WITH THE ISSUE OF FAITH
WHEN ONE HEARS OF THE DEATH OF A 17 YEAR OLD BOY
WORKING TO HELP HIS WIDOWED MOM
TO ENABLE HIS SIBLINGS TO GO TO SCHOOL?

HOW DO YOU STAY AFLOAT IN THE SEA?

HOW DO YOU BELIEVE THAT
IN THE EXCESSES
OF GODS LOVE AND GENEROSITY
YOU NEED NOT FIND ANSWERS TO THE WHY
YOU NEED NOT FULLY UNDERSTAND THE REASONS
FOR WHAT APPEARS TO BE A WASTED LIFE.

LET GOD BE GOD !!!

I WILL SAIL SO WE CAN FEED...

I PRAY THAT THE SEA BE CALM
I PRAY THE THE REASON BE CLEAR
I PRAY THAT I MAY CONTRIBUTE
TO OTHER PEOPLES DREAMS
TO RESPOND TO OTHER PEOPLES NEEDS

I PRAY THAT I MAY DO GODS WILL
AND FIND A WAY TO FEED GODS LITTLE ONES

I PRAY FOR HERE AND NOW
I PRAY FOR THE FUTURE TOO
OF CHILDREN AS THEY COME
AND CHILDREN AS THEY GO

FOR CHILDREN EVERYWHERE
BELONG TO GOD ABOVE

HE LOVED THEM FIRST
HE LOVES THEM MUCH
HE WILL LOVE THEM

FOR ALL ETERNITY .

AND I WILL SAIL ....