Posted on

As the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) has been extended in most parts of the region, the social and economic structures of the country cannot absorb months-long quarantine, otherwise, there will be serious problems on poverty, famine, law, and order, among others. True to its mission to fight hunger and poverty by providing proper nutrition for the poor, the Negrense Volunteers for Change (NVC) Foundation spearheaded the donation of food packs for hundreds of households and Mingo meals for the poor children in some areas in Negros Occidental.

The NVC donated food packs (meal bags) for hundreds of households with Mingo meals for the poor children in Negros Occidental through its “The Feeding Force Project”. NVC has 240 kitchens preparing food.

NVC has produced a total of 361,783 packs of Mingo meals (complementary food) for children in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Mingo uses the complementary food technology developed by DOST-FNRI.

As emergency relief assistance, NVC believes that Mingo meals would provide optimum nutritional support for children whose access to proper food and nutrition is compromised. The project also includes the distribution of Mingo meals and meal bags to the other constituents through the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental. The generous donations even reached the different barangays of Iloilo City and Metro Manila.

It is not just about the food inside the bags. It is about the spirit and the love that goes in them as well. NVC volunteers stuffing 7,800 servings of Mingo Meals into the bags of more than 3 tons of farmers’ crop before going to 520 households in Negros Occidental. (Photo by NVC)
A recipient of food bag from NVC Foundation enjoying Mingo as a healthy alternative to coffee. (Photo by NVC)

Originally intended for kids, adults now discovered that Mingo meals in their food bags can also be a delicious and nutritious beverage. It’s 4-in-1 they call it, because they get a good share of rice, mongo, malunggay and a choice of chocolate, squash, or ube. It can be a healthy alternative to coffee.

In addition to Mingo meals, NVC Foundation has also started producing PPEs for health workers. As of April 29, 2020 or 40 days after they started producing PPEs, NVC was able to produce and deliver 7,184 face shields and 11,323 hospital gowns to various hospitals and healthcare facilities in Negros Occidental with the help of donors and volunteers.

Health workers at the Bacolod City Health’s Lying-in Clinic wearing PPEs donated by NVC Foundation. (Photo by NVC)

The NVC Foundation was established in 2010 and was able to put up their FDA licensed complementary food production plant in 2011 with the technology and technical assistance from DOST VI and DOST-FNRI. Their plant is capable of producing 19,500 Mingo sachets (20g each) per batch of operation. To date, NVC has provided over 10 million Mingo meals, a nutritious instant complementary food for infants and toddlers among children of the poor needing nutritional support. Because of its convenience and nutritional value, Mingo has also gained popularity as emergency food in disaster relief operations.

With the Double Screw Extruder and Vacuum Fryer Machine availed through DOST-Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program – Innovation Enabling Fund (SETUP iFund), NVC will be able to produce more than double of their current capacity and they can also develop more nutritious products for the public.

The NVC Foundation is accepting donations to fund their activities in response to the COVID-19 crisis through https://www.nvcfoundation-ph.org/covid-19/. (MASASalazar/DOST VI with reports from GTReyes/NOPSTC)