BAGUIO CITY, June 18 -- The city government is eyeing the establishment of food banks and the regular conduct of community food pantries to minimize food wastage and ensure surplus food reaches those in need.

City Council information officer Jordan Habbiling said community pantries will serve as barangay-based distribution points where food may be freely accessed based on need and voluntary sharing, while food banks will function as centralized facilities for collecting, inspecting, storing and redistributing donated surplus food.

Habbiling said the primary aim is to establish a food waste reduction system and help those in need, with the measure institutionalizing community pantries and food banks as official mechanisms of the city go...