L-R: foodpanda Philippines Head of Communications and Public Affairs Jerome Mangahas, Ignacio B. Solis Elementary School Principal Elaine Ruth Villero, and Hon. Jose Orlando Acharon)

Online food and grocery delivery platform foodpanda has pledged to feed more than 1,000 elementary students in General Santos City, as part of its partnership with the office of Councilor Dr. Jose Orlando Acharon to provide medical assistance, immunizations, and hygiene support to children in the area. 

The program kicked off at Ignacio D. Solis Elementary School, where students enjoyed nutritious meals, fun activities, and a visit from foodpanda’s mascot, Pau-Pau. The month-long feeding program will provide healthy meals to 200 – 400 children every week, from Ignacio D. Solis Sr. Elementary School, New Guadalupe Elementary School, Shuttle Elementary School, and Sinawal Elementary School. It will run from September and end in October, which will also coincide with the annual worldwide celebration of World Food Day.

UNICEF Philippines reports that every day, 95 Filipino children lose their lives due to malnutrition. In fact, 27 out of 1,000 children don’t make it past the age of five. According to the World Bank, stunted growth in the first 1,000 days has a lasting impact on a child’s ability to perform well in school.

“We’re always looking for ways to give back, and supporting kids through meal donations is one way we can help,” said foodpanda. “Through this program, we’re not just feeding kids, we’re also helping them stay healthy. We’re glad to partner with Dok Odjok to make this happen for the kids of GenSan.”

Councilor Dr. Jose Orlando “Dok Odjok” R. Acharon shared, “This isn’t just about giving meals—it’s about helping these students grow up healthy and ready to learn. With foodpanda’s support, we can do more to make sure our kids are taken care of.”

Local GenSan businesses Mamastill Atbp. and Chai Wan Bobba, who are also foodpanda partner vendors, supported the event by donating meals to the organizers, government staff, and teachers present during the launch.

Fighting Hunger, One Meal at a Time

The meal donation initiative is part of foodpanda’s flagship sustainability program, ‘Let’s Do Our Pau-rt’, which focuses on fighting hunger and reducing food oversupply through meal donations. 

foodpanda representatives and partners, with City Mayor Lorelie Pacquiao

Recently, foodpanda also worked with City Mayor Lorelie Pacquiao to provide meals during cash and fuel assistance distributions to local farmers, with Mamastill Atbp. also helping feed around 500 beneficiaries. They also supported local radio station iFM and Radio Mindanao Network’s outreach program, which provided meals to 500 children from the B’laan community.

Meal distribution to children of the B’laan community

“GenSan has a special place in our hearts, and we’re always ready to help out however we can,” foodpanda added. “We’re committed to supporting the community through projects like this, and we’ll keep working with local leaders and partners to make a difference in communities, and most importantly to our network of partner vendors and delivery partners.”