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MANILA, Philippines — Scholars of Sustenance (SOS) Philippines is close to hitting its target of serving 3.5 million meals to its beneficiaries using the food surplus that it has saved from various farms and industries.
SOS Philippines country general manager Rachel Luna said the non-government organization has already achieved its goal of serving 2.5 million meals this year in just five months, or from January to May.
This brings the total meals served by SOS Philippines to over five million since it started its food rescue work in the country in October 2022.
With more than six months left in the year, Luna said SOS Philippines’ total meals served may reach between 3.5 million and four million, about 180 percent of its food-raising goal. It will bring the organization’s cumulative meals served since October 2022 to more than six million.
“It will be somewhere that figure. Out of all of this, our strongest year has been 2025,” Luna said.
SOS Philippines’ work revolves around rescuing or saving quality surplus food from various players of the food value chain and turning them into nutritious meals that are distributed to the most vulnerable communities.
Luna attributed the faster achievement of its food-raising goal this year to new food donors including a “huge” manufacturing company as well as a prominent bakeshop and restaurant. The organization also ramped-up its partnerships with Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc. as well as with San Miguel Foundation.
As the new country manager, Luna said the organization would prioritize on hitting its target of 2.5 million meals served in the first half and focus on raising funds in the second half.
SOS Philippines has rescued more than a million kilos of food from October 2022 until May this year, effectively reducing carbon dioxide emissions by three million kilos, Luna said.
The organization is also eyeing to expand its engagements with local farmers, starting with its work in Nueva Vizcaya.
SOS Philippines exchanges the surplus produce of farmers in Nueva Vizcaya with various products from hygiene items to processed goods that the organization gets from other partner-donors, Luna explained.
Luna said SOS Philippines is looking to get two to three new trucks this year from new major donors to expand its operations as its work is limited by having only two trucks at present.
