Naga City, Jollibee to feed pupils in mountain villages

CEBU, Philippines - Naga City has cut a deal with a fastfood chain company’s foundation for a feeding program that would benefit pupils in at least five elementary schools in the mountain barangays.

The foundation’s Busug, Lusug, Talino (BLT) School Feeding program in the City.

The Jollibee Group Foundation (JGF) and the city will implement the feeding program in Jaguimit Elementary School, Bairan Elementary School, Alpaco Elementary School, Tagjaguimit Elementary School, and Mainit Elementary School.

The feeding program aims to help address hunger among undernourished pupils in Grades 1 and 2 in public schools by providing a daily lunch to 40 “severely wasted” pupils, selected according to their body mass index.

The ultimate goal is to help the beneficiaries stay in school by keeping them fit and healthy.

The program promotes collaboration among partners in the community including the local government unit, the Department of Education, the parents, and the public in general, each sector having a role in the sustainability of the project.

Under the agreement, the city will take charge of the financial needs of the program.

The Department of Education on the other hand is in the forefront, in charge with the implementation of the program in the schools while the parents, teachers, and other community volunteers cook and prepare the daily lunch for the pupils.

The partnership agreement entails sharing between the JGF and the LGU-Naga in the program’s cost amounting to P389,200.

In the first year of implementation, the JGF will shoulder 75 percent or P224,400 of the total cost.

In the second year, JGF’s equity is reduced to 50 percent.

The local government will take full responsibility for the sustainability of the program in the third year and onwards.

JGF will however, continue to provide the needed technical support and training. (FREEMAN)