ONE MEAL, ONE HARVEST, ONE COMMUNITY AT A TIME
SDG 2 (ZERO HUNGER) REPORT
Academic Year 2023-2024
De La Salle University has been quietly but powerfully working to reshape ways in which universities address food insecurity and nutrition issues. DLSU uses a multi-layered approach of student-led initiatives, institutional partnerships, and research-driven programs to enrich thousands on campus and in surrounding communities.
Probably most visible and longest-lived is the 24/6 Learning Facility Pantry led by the University Student Government launched in October 2023 during midterms week. This allowed students free, prepared meals for their overnighters at the Gokongwei Learning Spaces. It operated from 10:00 PM to 3:00 AM, serving hundreds of students nightly, providing nourishment not just for the body but also for community and care. Its success heralded its return to campus in February 2024 for Term 2, with expanded support this time from DLSU Parents of University Students Organization (PUSO), among other student organizations.
Complementing this effort is the University’s expansion of on-campus food infrastructure. For AY 2023–2024 Term 1, DLSU had a total of three canteens, one coffee shop, and twelve food kiosks on its Manila campus, in addition to one canteen at its Laguna and Rufino campuses. For the entire school year, students would have access to a variety of balanced foodstuffs at reasonable prices to alleviate contending with inflation asfood prices surge nationwide.
Outside the campuses, DLSU has also been busy with nationwide food systems advocacy. In June 2023, La Salle Food and Water Institute (LFWI) Director Dr. Emmanuel Garcia became chairman of the Philippine Coffee Guild. The Guild is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality, culture, and sustainability of coffee all over the country. Under Dr. Garcia, LFWI has contributed to food systems and water access research in support of improving the quality standards of food, through the engagement of smallholder farmers whose contributions reinforce the principles of long-term food security.
DLSU also pursues long-term sustainability research and outreach programs. The 2023 Annual Report of the De La Salle University Science Foundation highlighted its support for environmental and agricultural projects. These initiatives focus on key areas such as urban farming and food system resilience. Collectively, they advance the broader objective of integrating sustainability into the University’s academic and community engagement functions. The University also embeds nutrition education in various academic programs. A course under the Bachelor of Early Childhood Education, specifically Health, Nutrition and Safety (ECEHNAS), has modules on health and nutrition that provide future teachers with knowledge and skills about food, wellness, and sustainable living for young learners.
All these programs form one coordinated strategy to mitigate food insecurity across its many facets: aid, education, research, and community empowerment. Through partnership-building, expanded access, and a deep integration of nutrition into its mission, De La Salle University Manila nurtures lasting change — one meal, one harvest, and one community at a time.
