GMA Kapuso Foundation responds to famine in Maguindanao

MANILA, Philippines -  Braving potential animosity and cultural differences, GMA Kapuso Foundation (GMAKF), the socio-civic arm of GMA Network, conducted a new round of relief distribution in Maguindanao from May 30 to June 3 in response to the continuing food shortage in the area.

The distribution benefited 20,000 residents of the municipalities of Datu Hoffer Ampatuan, Rajah Buayan, and Talayan. Among the places covered by the distribution were areas only a few kilometers away from the site of the 2009 Maguindanao massacre and the 2015 Mamasapano clash.

“It was a not a time to think about fear or cultural differences. In times of calamity, our innate compassion as Filipinos unites us,” related Jerome Abad, a GMAKF project staff.

Maguindanao has yet to recover from the effects of El Niño, leaving many of them with a scarcity of food and water.

Earlier this year, citizens in some parts  of Mindanao had to resort to eating tiki-tiki, crushed corn kernels, and kayos, a poisonous wild crop, to deal with famine. It takes cautious and thorough preparation to get rid of the toxins of kayos to prevent incidents of poisoning and dizziness. Some families also had to sell their carabaos and other farm animals so they could have food.

GMAKF was among the first to provide relief assistance in Maguindanao in February 2016 by distributing relief packs to 12,000 individuals and conducting a soup kitchen for 250 children.

As it sees the need to extend assistance to thousands of farming families still affected by the continuous famine, GMAKF continues to accept donations of rice, noodles, canned goods, coffee, and sugar.

Donations may be dropped off at the GMA Kapuso Foundation office, 2nd floor, Kapuso Center, GMA Network Drive cor. Samar St., Diliman, Quezon City, weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Monetary donations may also be deposited to any branch of Metrobank, UCPB, PNB and Cebuana Lhuiller sans service fees.