P4.5 M for Mindanao school feeding program

MANILA, Philippines - Pizza Hut, the world’s number one pizza chain, and Taco Bell have collected more than P4.5 million for the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) to support its school feeding program in Mindanao.

In November 2010, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell launched their fourth annual World Hunger Relief campaign in the Philippines. Over 165 restaurants in the country raised funds for WFP’s Emergency School Feeding program, which provides nutritious meals to 80,000 elementary school children in conflict-affected areas of Central Mindanao.

The P4.5-million donation, which is 114 percent higher than the sum raised by the same campaign the previous year, was handed over by Pizza Hut endorser Diether Ocampo and Philippine Pizza, Inc. COO Lars Peterson to WFP country director Stephen Anderson.

“I am truly happy to be a part of the Pizza Hut family and to be able to do what I can to help its cause. WFP is supporting the process of bringing children back to school after years of displacement and I wish for their continued success in their fight against hunger,” said Ocampo, who has volunteered to be part of the World Hunger Relief campaign.

The World Hunger Relief campaign, launched in 2007, is 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.