To symbolize the community’s commitment to address malnutrition among school children, some local stakeholders have joined forces to establish the Busog-Lusog-Talino (BLT) Feeding Center at the Talomo Central Elementary School in Davao City (TCES). The BLT Feeding Center was formally opened last November 24 with participants from the Jollibee Foundation, Davao Doctor’s College, the parent-teacher’s association of TCES and concerned parents.
Merced Coloma, Davao Doctor’s College community extension officer said: “This is in response to the growing concern of parents and teachers on the issue of malnutrition and education among school children. Establishing the BLT Feeding Center is the start of the new engagement of the community and symbolizes that it has embraced the program as its own with a renewed commitment to sustain it.” She added, “We started the BLT Program with Jollibee Foundation only last year, and we have already seen encouraging results.”
Talomo Central Elementary School principal Marilyn Marcelo said, “We were able to notice less dropouts ever since the establishment of the Jollibee Foundation’s BLT Program. The children are more consistent with their grades.”
Jollibee Foundation’s BLT Program is committed to address the issue of hunger and under nutrition, especially among school-age children who are at risk of dropping out from school before reaching the third grade. In 2007, it started implementing its BLT Program which provides daily lunch for Grades 1 and 2 pupils with below normal weight status for eight months during the school year.
In the program, parents prepare the meals in school based on a low-cost and nutritious menu and attend seminars on cooking, health and nutrition. The Program is implemented in partnership with local government units, academic institutions and NGOs and JFC stores nationwide who sustain the program beyond Jollibee’s initial three-year assistance.
Since 2007, Jollibee Foundation’s BLT Program has covered more than 13,000 Grades 1 and 2 pupils in 232 public elementary schools nationwide. On the average, eight out of 10 pupils attain their normal weight status after the eight-month feeding cycle. They also exhibit improved attendance in school.
“Jollibee Foundation aims to mobilize the different stakeholders so that they will be able to see, understand and own the issue of malnutrition in their community and do something concrete to address the issue. The establishment of these feeding centers symbolizes the spirit of unity, cooperation and collaboration of the different stakeholders to sustain the program,” said Jollibee Foundation’s executive director Gisela Tiongson.
