World Health Organization
Department of Health 
If we are to look back at Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, food is among the most essential needs of a human being. Without it, probably we can still get through for a few days, but later on, we won’t be able to survive. The COVID-19 pandemic has put many lives at risk, particularly, of hunger. This encompasses a wide spectrum of causes especially in this time when people are losing jobs, businesses are not operating, and other economic activities are being halted. This brings us to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #2 — which targets to end hunger by 2030 — a real challenge.
Public and private institutions have been working together to address the need to feed the Filipinos during this time. One of the many efforts is coming from the Cagayan de Oro College (Phinma Education Network) on Max Suniel Street in Barangay Carmen, CDO. They call their initiative “Helping Hands” as their way to extend help to the community by providing food packs to the people in need.
The project started with their provisions of hygiene kits to the community surrounding the school with the hope to influence the people to keep a healthy and clean environment. The efforts were intensified as the school administration also donated food to the most vulnerable communities for their survival. More than 2,000 food packs were distributed through the “Helping Hands” project. Each food pack comes with rice, canned goods, instant noodles, and vegetables.
With the help of the Philippine National Police and volunteers (both the students and employees), the food packs reached the intended beneficiaries in barangays Carmen, Macabalan, Puntod, Dansolihon, and in Sitio Naga and Sitio Balok-balok in Puerto.
In his Easter message, Phinma Education President and CEO Ramon R. Del Rosario shared a word of hope to the community: “The virus tried to steal hope, but I am convinced that we will remember that never did we allow the fires of hope to die out. That we fanned the flames of hope from small embers to a roaring fire of warmth and comfort for all. That eventually, we did overcome.”
