How to address hunger among Filipinos was the point of discussion at a recent Zero Summit led by Scholars of Sustenance (SOS) Philippines, a food rescue and environment foundation that saves good-quality surplus food and makes this available to vulnerable communities.

Food insecurity remains a pressing issue in the Philippines with 27.2% of Filipinos experiencing involuntary hunger, according to a Social Weather Stations survey conducted on March 15–25. 

The survey results stand out beside the UN Environment Programme 2024 Food Waste Index Report of food waste in the Philippines amounting to 2.95 million tons a year, or 26 kilograms per capita.  

The Food Waste Index measures the amount of food and its inedible parts wasted in retail, food service, and households. Worldwide, the household sector accounted for 60% or 631 million tons of wasted food, followed by food service at 28% or 290 million tons, and retail at 12% or 131 million tons. (See “The necessity of not wasting food when others are going hungry.”)

The figures present a continuing challenge to waste disposal and the larger issues of the environment, greenhouse gas emissions, and climate change. 

Sustainability as strategy

Allianz PNB Life (AZPNBL), established in 2016 as a joint insurance venture between the Germany-based Allianz Group and the Philippine National Bank, maintains its commitment to sustainability and social impact and continues its partnership with SOS Food Rescue Philippines. 

It upheld its stance as a responsible business mindful of the impact of its activities on people and the environment through its participation in the Zero Summit, with its chief marketing officer, Gino Riola, delivering the keynote message at the opening session. 

In his talk titled “Sustainability as a Strategy,” Riola discussed the importance of making sustainability the core of every enterprise. “Sustainability strategies must be grounded in the company’s core purpose and values,” he said. 

Riola cited the importance of linking the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) framework to business goals, thus echoing the ESG triple bottom line principle: people, planet, profit. “Sustainability must be integrated into the business model,” he said, adding that it should not be only for show: “It should not be mere optics.”

Innovation and compassion

Rachel Marie Q. Luna, SOS Philippines Food Rescue country general manager, underscored the importance of partnerships in helping the advocacy reach more Filipinos in need. “It is in these partnerships that our mission is able to reach farther, respond faster, and serve more communities,” she said.

Through its partners and its food rescue ambassadors, SOS Philippines has reached its year-to-date goal, with more than 2.5 million meals served, according to Luna.  “We believe no one should go hungry while good food is being discarded,” she said. 

The system of recovering surplus food and delivering it to those who need it most, is “not only charitable but also circular by design, one that transforms excess into access, waste into worth, and scarcity into shared abundance,” Luna said.

She added: “We are here today because of partners who help bring this vision to life—not just through generosity, but through action. Partners who give us the courage to move forward with quiet but steady confidence in tomorrow, and who show us that building harmony is more than an aspiration: It is something we can come home to.”

Since the launch of its partnership with SOS Philippines in 2023, AZPNBL has conducted food drives and volunteer activities among its employees, and donated a truck for use in food rescue missions. “We stand alongside those who believe that a better world is ours to make, that real, lasting impact grows from intention, care, and collaboration. And we are moved by those whose spirit to go further reminds us that progress happens when we push beyond limits and choose purpose, again and again,” Luna said.

Riola said Allianz’s global focus is on climate action. He said this is reflected locally through carbon footprint reduction initiatives in operations, its continued partnership with SOS Food Rescue Philippines, and its upcoming relocation to a certified green building in Makati. 

“Allianz is committed to sustainability—not just in protecting the future of its clients, but in ensuring that the planet is ready for tomorrow,” he said.