Sydney, Australia – Former Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo returned to the world stage, this time to combat hunger, as she participated in the Global FoodBankingNetwork (GFN) Global Summit 2024 in Sydney, Australia. The summit opened last September 9 and will run until September 12, 2024.

Robredo was among the keynote speakers at the event, which aimed to introduce new ideas for strengthening food systems and combating hunger, while fostering partnerships among leaders and experts worldwide.

“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 highlighted various anti-poverty programs and projects during her term as Vice President from 2016 to 2022, as well as those currently undertaken by Angat Buhay, a non-governmental organization that 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.