Former Philippine VP Leni Robredo Returns to the Global Stage to Help Fight World Hunger

Former Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo reemerged on the global stage to address hunger by participating in the Global FoodBankingNetwork (GFN) Global Summit 2024 in Sydney, Australia, which began on September 9 and will continue until September 12, 2024.

Robredo was a keynote speaker at the event aimed at introducing ideas to strengthen food systems, combat hunger, and foster partnerships among global leaders and experts.

“This summit presents an opportunity for us to grow in this spirit—between and among sectors, fellow advocates, and nations. With millions enduring the tragedy of hunger all over the world, we have a small but significant window to fight for the health and well-being of our peoples,” Robredo said.

The Global FoodBanking Network supports community-led solutions to alleviate hunger in nearly 50 countries through food banks.

In her speech, Robredo emphasized the anti-poverty programs and projects from her term as Vice President (2016-2022) and those currently led by Angat Buhay, the NGO she chairs.

During her term, Robredo led various feeding programs focused on addressing malnutrition, food security, and poverty alleviation. She also promoted community gardening as a means for communities to grow their food.

“We achieved all these through intentional governance: one that set higher standards to gain the public’s trust. But we were only able to defy limitations because we built upon the goodwill of private sector partners and our adopted communities,” Robredo said.

Robredo also shared her experiences and lessons during the 2022 People’s Campaign during a talk at The Australian National University hosted by the ANU Philippines Institute and the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership.

She also met with Australia-based Filipinos in Canberra and Sydney, encouraging them to help communities back in the Philippines through Angat Buhay.

“This spirit of solidarity has allowed us to build a vision of a collective future: One where everyone can lend their strength so that even the toughest challenges can be addressed,” Robredo added.

In 2022, Robredo was selected as one of five Hauser Leaders at Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for Public Leadership.

The following year, the former Vice President was chosen as a Rockefeller Foundation fellow for its prestigious Bellagio Center Residency Program.

“We gave Filipinos the chance to help uplift their fellow men, and we empowered our beneficiaries to embrace their responsibility as partners in development,” she said.