In an effort to help them recover from the effects of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the Department of Education (DepEd) tapped local food processors and dairy producers for its School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP).

“Nurturing learners is one of our priorities to help them study efficiently,” Education Secretary Leonor Briones said. “We want to give our thanks to our partners for the implementation of the school-based feeding program despite the pandemic because we know that learners still need the food and milk packs,” she added.

During the Central Office's visit to the Schools Division of Rizal and Antipolo City, DepEd-Bureau of Learner Support Service (BLSS) OIC Director Lope Santos III explained how schools and local food producers coordinate to provide food commodities to the learners under the SBFP.

Santos explained that small and medium enterprises that supply nutritious food products to students were certified and accredited Department of Science and Technology - Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI).

Citing reports from field offices, DepEd said that there are three local manufacturers for the milk components while schools selected the suppliers of their food commodities for the SDO Rizal. The SDO Antipolo City, meanwhile, listed a total of three milk and five nutritious local food product suppliers.

In a report released by the BLSS, DepEd noted that SBFP already provided Nutritious Food Products (NFP) to 3,517,807 where 3,136,951 learners with milk ration from more than 33,000 public schools in the country.

It surpassed the benchmark target of 1.7 million beneficiaries, with 205.9% achievement rate for NFP and 176.69% for milk components.

During their three-day visit in Rizal Province, Santos also spearheaded the execution and the actual process from repacking up to the distribution of the nutritious food and milk to the learners’ parents.

Meanwhile, Rizal Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Cherrylou Repia noted the importance of the program for the less-fortunate learners and local manufacturers who lost their jobs during the pandemic.

“We know for a fact that the feeding program is a ‘come on’ for students to attend classes and this helps improve their attendance because they receive food from schools,” Repia explained.

The Central Office team monitored Patricio Jarin Memorial Elementary School, Taytay Elementary School, Tomas Claudio Memorial Elementary School, San Guillermo Elementary School, and Lagundi Elementary School in SDO Rizal and Bagong Nayon IV Elementary School, Mayamot Elementary School, and Juan Sumulong Elementary School in SDO Antipolo City.

The team composed of the Office of the Undersecretary for Administration, School Health Division, and Youth Formation Division also monitored other DepEd programs that include School Dental Health Program (SDHCP), Gabaldon School Buildings Restoration, “Gulayan sa Paaralan” and “School Inside a Garden (SIGA) program.