MANILA, Philippines — Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI) through its corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm HARI Foundation, Inc. (HFI) renewed its commitment to support Gawad Kalinga’s (GK) social entrepreneurship program with the donation of five vans which will further drive the GK spirit of innovation and enterprise to more parts of the country.
Three vehicles will be used to transport the products and produce of GK communities from farm to market, while two will support Kusina ng Kalinga (KNK), GK’s platform to address hunger and malnutrition among children in public schools, on the streets, and in conflict areas. There are presently over 20 kitchens in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. One of the most recently opened was the Marawi Kitchen, which began operations at the tail-end of the conflict in the said area.
The vehicle turnover capped the 5th Global Social Business Summit, “Scaling Towards Social Progress,” which was held at the Hyundai Center for Green Innovation in the GK Enchanted Farm in Angat, Bulacan.
HFI President Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo joined peers and fellow GK supporters in business and government on Day 3 of the Summit to map out a more solid Hyundai-GK partnership in the shared bid to give rise to successful and self-sustaining entrepreneurs among the young poor.
Noting how the collaboration among GK’s corporate partners has helped grow GK Enchanted Farm into one of the country’s biggest platforms for inclusive economic growth, she said, “One word comes to mind when I describe our milestones with Gawad Kalinga through the years: empowerment.... An expression of shared values--one mind (and) one heart to empower people to help themselves, so that they may help others to become not mere recipients of aid, but partners in driving inclusive growth... Kasama sa biyahe ng buhay. Lifetime partners. This is what the Hyundai-GK partnership is about.”
HARI, through HFI, counts over a decade of supporting the GK mission of ending poverty for five million families by 2024.