Aquino leads awarding of schools with exemplary feeding programs

MANDALUYONG CITY, May 31 (PIA)—President Benigno S. Aquino III on Monday led the awarding of schools who have implemented outstanding feeding programs under the Busog, Lusog, Talino (BLT) School Feeding Program.

The BLT Program was launched by Jollibee Group Foundation (JGF) in 2007 with the goal of eradicating hunger among Grades 1 and 2 public school pupils.

In his keynote speech, President Aquino cited the completeness of the BLT Program.

“Itinuturo sa atin ng Busog, Lusog, Talino School Feeding Program na pagdating sa serbisyong panlipunan, dapat cumpletos recados. Kapag kinulang ng isang sangkap ay siguradong mabibitin ang benepisyo. Kung “busog” pero wala namang “lusog,” magiging lapitin ng sakit ang mga estudyante. Kung may “lusog” pero wala namang “talino,” hindi sila magiging kapaki-pakinabang na miyembro ng ating lipunan,” Aquino said.

Grand winners are Daniel M. Perez Elementary School in Davao City (School Based feeding Program Category) and Francisco LAya Memorial Integrated School (BLT Category.

Regional winners for the BLT category are: Bocohan Elementary School in Lucena City, Quezon (Luzon); Rodolfo A. Meder, Sr. Elementary School (Visayas); and Bagong Silang Elementary School in Iligan, Lanao del Norte (Mindanao).

Regional winners for the SBFP category are: Taal Elementary School in Iloilo City and Vedasto F. Corcuera Elementary School in Davao City.  

Since its inception, the “Busog, Lusog, Talino” (BLT) Feeding Program it has become the largest private sector-led school feeding program, which is a result of community collaboration amongst JGF, the Department of Education (DepEd) and local partners composed of members of Parents-Teachers Association (PTA), local government units, non-government organizations and  volunteers.

Over the years, the BLT Excellence Awards winners, along with more than 1,500 other schools, have demonstrated that school feeding can be an effective strategy to improve children’s access to education, as well as an opportunity for the community to work together to address an issue relevant to them.

To date, the program has helped more than 165,000 pupils from 1,567 schools in over 200 municipalities across the country to gain normal weight. (PIA-NCR/RJB/SDL)