MANILA -- Italian food company Barilla and Marriott Hotel Manila teamed up to create a nutritious pasta dish for Red Cross Philippines children to mark World Pasta Day.

Barilla executive chef Andrea Tranchero and Marriott executive chef Meik Brammer served Penne Bolognese Filipino-style for the Red Cross Philippines team and some of their student beneficiaries from Villamor Air Base Elementary School.

As food waste is a major global problem, with billions of tons of food for human consumption being thrown away at landfills, Tranchero said it is important for chefs to teach young children about it.

He also mentioned that people nowadays are buying more food but highlighted that there is a “need to be conscious and to take care of the world.”

Brammer, who has been with Marriott for more than a decade, also shared that their initiative in addressing food wastage is donating excess food to the underprivileged through Red Cross Philippines.

“We are passionate about giving back to the communities we serve, and this event exemplifies our dedication to making a positive impact," Brammer said.

For her part, Micot Juico, food coordinator of Red Cross Philippines, said, “We wish that more restaurants and bake shops in other areas can donate [their excess food] to us.” s

For more than 12 years, Juico has been teaming up with hotels, restaurants, bake shops and food storage facilities in the Philippines to provide food for street-dwelling children and calamity victims.

Juico added that they are also looking forward to grocery stores to join in their initiative to donate vegetables and other goods to underprivileged Filipinos.