Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan welcomed an upcoming project by the Italian Embassy in Manila that would benefit poor children and their families in Tondo.

Italian ambassador Marco Clemente is spearheading the Italian Street Food Festival, called "Fiesta con Gusto," in Tondo on 18 November, which aims to highlight Italian cuisine while at the same time feeding underprivileged kids in Tondo who are suffering from hunger.

Roughly 500 children, including their families, are expected to benefit from the food festival, according to Clemente.

At a press conference for the event at Bulwagang Villegas in Manila City Hall, Lacuna-Pangan underscored the significance of holding the food festival in Tondo.

"If there is one place to hold a festival for our palates, it should be where people have hearty appetites. A place where love for food is not only for nourishing one's stomach but likewise as nourishment in building and nurturing connections to family and friends," she said.

"The City of Manila treats the bond between our two countries as a substantial one that we will always have our arms wide open to further our cultural and economic ties," she added.

The event , she stressed, will help "pave the way to a more fruitful and productive diplomatic relationship not only with the Philippines but with our City in particular."

For his part, Clemente emphasized the need to empower Filipino children and ensure that they are not victimized by hunger.

"The Italian Street Food Festival not only promotes Italian cuisine, but it is also a platform to empower Filipino youths and their families and help them alleviate hunger," he said. "We aim to be a channel that gives hope to the Filipino children to strive more in life and a part of it is ensuring that they don't have a hungry stomach."