Globe, SM Advantage Card (SMAC) #UniteVsHunger, join hands for the Hapag Movement

With every purchase of a SMAC card and every checkout, shoppers can now help support a family in need.

Leading digital solutions platform Globe and SM Advantage Card (SMAC), the loyalty card of retail giant SM, have come together to help put meals on the table of those in need through the Hapag Movement, Globe’s technology-driven program against involuntary hunger.

“We are excited to partner with SMAC at the most joyful time of the year so we can bring cheer to our fellow Filipinos who continue to suffer due to involuntary hunger. Now, it’s easier for shoppers to share their blessings to the needy, bring food to the table, and get assistance for decent livelihood as we mark this Christmas season post-pandemic,” said Globe Group Chief Sustainability and Corporate Communications Officer Yoly Crisanto.

Food insecurity impacts mental health help address this through the Hapag Movement

The effects of food insecurity go beyond physical. Involuntary hunger has been a long standing problem in the Philippines, and during the pandemic, when millions lost their means of livelihood, this became more apparent with the surge of mental health concerns. 

A study by University of Arkansas professors Di Fang, Michael Thomsen and Rodolfo Nayga Jr., published by BMC Public Health in March 2021, found that food insecurity caused by the pandemic was also associated with increased risk of mental illness.

It determined that “food insecurity is associated with a 257% higher risk of anxiety and a 253% higher risk of depression.” The study then recommended that public health measures should focus on getting direct subsidies of food purchases to poor families, especially families with children.