Food firm donates P4.5 M to World Food Program

MANILA, Philippines - One of the world’s largest restaurant companies donated some P4.5 million to the United Nations’ World Food Program to support its school feeding project in Mindanao.

YUM! Brands – owner of Pizza Hut and Taco Bell raised the amount through the 60-day fundraising campaign, which ended on Dec. 31, 2010.

Over 165 branches of Pizza Hut and Taco Bell in the Philippines received donations from customers in different ways, the WFP said.

The donation will be used by the WFP for its Emergency School Feeding program, which provides nutritious meals to 80,000 elementary school children in conflict-affected areas of Central Mindanao.

“By having nutritious meals in schools, vulnerable children in the conflict-affected areas of Mindanao are able complete their basic education. This is one of the first steps in overcoming poverty and hunger,” WFP Country representative Stephen Anderson said.

In 2007, the WFP launched the World Hunger Relief campaign, the world’s largest private sector effort to address hunger.

During the past three years, YUM! Brands has raised nearly $60 million for WFP and other hunger relief agencies, it said.