CEBU, Philippines - The Archdiocese of Cebu through a Memorandum of Understanding with the Social Security System expands its feeding program dubbed as “Kusina ni Marta” which will now be called “Kusina Plus Panaderia ni Marta.”
The archdiocese just received P500,000 from SSS in support of the feeding program intended to benefit hundreds more of children in Cebu. Kusina ni Marta is a supplementary feeding program first launched last November 30 spearheaded by Msgr. Achilles Dakay, media liaison of the Cebu Archdiocese.
It was created to live out the principles of the Roman Catholic Church to show mercy and compassion to the needy, and as a response to the encouragement of the Vatican to “feed the man dying of hunger because if you have not fed him, you have killed him.”
The program provides free food to everyone, prioritizing the poor ones. Foods are prepared by the program facilitators from excess food stocks donated by partner hotels and restaurants here.
Foods are then distributed to different distribution centers in the city like the San Nicolas Parish, Mabolo and Sto. Rosario, among others.
The project is supported by the Hotel, Resort and Restaurant Association of Cebu, Young Ladies Association of Cebu and the Gandionco family who owns a chain of bakeshops here.
Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal along with Dakay, SSS Commissioner Marianita Mendoza and SSS branch manager Helen Solita, YLAC officers and Julie Gandionco of Julie’s Bakeshop graced the MOU signing last December 15. — Jessica Ann R. Pareja/MEEV (FREEMAN NEWS)