University of the Philippines (UP) President Angelo A. Jimenez, Co-Chairman and CEO of Energies PH Antonio A. Ver, Co-Chairman Jorge V. Sarmiento, and other officials launched the “Feed the People PH” project during the “Pagtutuloy: Strengthening Partnerships in Philippine Public Higher Education”, the first-initiated gathering of leaders of state universities and colleges (SUCs) from across the country held at the Dusit Thani Grand Ballroom Davao on September 15. This Summit gathered together 114 SUCs from all over the country and was aimed at encouraging participation in interdisciplinary educational, research, and community service initiatives through collaborative projects.
According to the proponents of the Feed the People PH project, they aim to help address the lack of food of impoverished Filipinos through partnerships with leading educational institutions of the country. They explained that collaboration with SUCs with expertise in agriculture, fisheries, and aquaculture will boost the modernization efforts, productivity and sustainability of the Philippines’ agricultural and fisheries sectors and make food affordable for all Filipinos.
During the Summit, Antonio A. Ver mentioned that Feed the People PH is a culmination of the collaborative efforts UP President Angelo Jimenez and Jorge V. Sarmiento initiated more than a decade ago with the formation of the Asia Pacific Basin for Energy Strategy, which gained Special Consultative Status in UN ECOSOC in 2014 as an Energy and Economic Think-Tank, committed to pursuing and accomplishing the UN Sustainable Goals. The project’s funding will be provided through an Energy Fund, acting as a source for EnergiesPH, which in turn manages an Endowment program dedicated to both STEM and food initiatives.
Earlier, at an executive meeting, UP Executive Vice President Jose Fernando T. Alcantara, UP Los Baños Chancellor Jose V. Camacho, Jr., EnergiesPH officials, and other project co-proponents discussed possibilities on how the project can be funded while being implemented initially by UPLB’s AGORA. UPLB Chancellor Camacho expressed his thanks for the chance to co-create with UP’s new partners. These officials will be continuing their discussions on the technical and legal details of the partnerships, project implementation, and expansion. They will likewise be finalizing the terms for a memorandum of agreement to be signed in the future.
