by Karylle Panorel | October 20, 2021
The Silliman University (SU) Farm, in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd), has started the 28-day milk pack feeding program for 135 elementary schools in nine districts, benefitting a total of 9,106 learners in Negros Oriental.
The SU Farm will be distributing a total of 254,968 milk packs in the municipalities of Manjuyod, Bindoy, Tayasan, Jimalalud, and La Libertad. The distribution started in Jimalalud last October 17.
According to SU Schiede Farm manager Rafael Nepomuceno, the target recipients of the milk packs are nutritionally challenged elementary learners.
“The goal of this program is to help nutritionally challenged students perform better in school. Usually, students who are nutritionally challenged underperform in school. That’s why in order to solve the problem and to improve their nutritional status, we are providing them nutritious food under the milk component,” said Nepomuceno.
The 28-day milk feeding program is a component of the school-based feeding program following the implementation of Republic Act 11037, the Masustansyang Pagkain para sa Batang Pilipino Act signed by President Rodrigo Duterte in 2018.
Milk packs are distributed in every school during Thursdays and Fridays, in line with the module distribution and retrieval. Bottles of milk would then be distributed to parents to be brought home to their children.
Nepomuceno said the program aims to provide milk to the beneficiaries that can last up to five days, which would mean at least five packs will be given for each beneficiary per week.
The SU Farm also partnered with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) of Zamboanguita. A 160-day milk pack feeding program is also being held in daycare centers of Zamboanguita with a total of 359 beneficiaries.
