WATCH: Alden Richards shares mission to ease Philippines’ hunger problem this Christmas

MANILA, Philippines — This year, Christmas will be different for millions of Filipinos due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Social Weather Stations’ (SWS) September 17 to 20, 2020 National Mobile Survey revealed that the proportion of families experiencing involuntary hunger, at least once in the past three months, reached a new record-high of 30.7%, or an estimated 7.6 million households. 

This means that about 7.6 million Filipino families went hungry during the crisis, going below poverty line and experienced or are experiencing “involuntary hunger” or hunger due to lack of food to eat.

As such, the government and some of the country’s biggest food brands such as McDonald’s joined hands to form Task Force Zero Hunger, a movement behind hunger-alleviating programs such as Pilipinas Kontra Gutom and Brand Aid.

As a McDonald’s brand ambassador for six years now, one of actor Alden Richards’ advocacies is to support the fast food chain’s campaigns against hunger, including the launch of Kindness Kitchens, a physical store that the company opened for its kitchen to cook meals for COVID-19 frontliners and other communities that need food to support them as they fight and survive the pandemic. 

In a recent exclusive interview with Philstar.com, the “Eat Bulaga” host said that during the pandemic, he has been active in giving back to the community.

“Active pa rin po tayo DOH (Department of Health) campaign natin which is ‘yung Bida Solusyon for COVID. Meron ding mga advocacy na I still continue that involves education, pagbibigay ng mga relief do’n sa mga nangangailangan, especially lately nagkaroon tayo ng mga typhoon casualties, so do’n po yung focus natin,” he said.

“Also, feeding din. Mayroon po tayong mga private feeding program sa mga small communites na number one problem ‘yung pagkain.” 

Alden said he is not having a hard time lending his hand to these advocacies despite his busy showbiz schedule.

“Madali lang siya eh. Tayo naman kasi mayroon tayong heart to the people who are in need. Ever since naman nagkakaroon tayo ng problema sa pagkain especially to those people na nasa community na mahirap ang buhay. It’s an honor to be part of the campaign." — Video from McDonald's Philippines, edited by Philstar.com/Efigenio Toledo IV

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