US milk donation under Food for Progress program to benefit 85,000 school kids

MANILA, Philippines - The United States government will donate some 680 metric tons of nonfat dry milk to the Philippine government under its joint Food for Progress program.

The US embassy, in a statement sent to The STAR, said that the distribution of the milk packages will start on Nov. 15 and will run up to January next year.

The project this year was already launched recently in rites held at the Sagad Elementary School in Pasig City, attended by Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, Education Secretary Armin Luistro, and US Agricultural Attaché David Wolf. Also present were Republic Flour Mills (RFM) Corp. president Jose Ma. Concepcion III, Rep. Roman Romulo, and Pasig City Mayor Robert Eusebio.

The main beneficiaries of the milk, which will be processed into chocolate milk and vitamin-fortified biscuits, will be the 85,000 grade 1 students in 271 public elementary schools nationwide identified by the Department of Education (DepEd).

DepEd said that the Food for Progress project is among the many manifestations of private-public partnerships espoused by President Benigno Aquino III.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) was identified as the main entity responsible for the handling and distribution of all donated commodities. The US embassy quoted Alcala as saying that this year’s milk distribution program “aims to supplement the dietary needs of the beneficiaries and improve the children’s health, nutrition values, and behavior.”

“Distribution of this milk and fortified biscuits donated by the United States not only increases students’ health, but could also increase school attendance rates and participation levels by the students while in school,” said Wolf.

Meanwhile, Republic Flour Mills (RFM) Corp. committed to produce five million packs of UHT milk chocolate drink and five million packs of biscuits from the 680 metric tons of non-fat dry milk as partner-processor under the project. — Rainier Allan Ronda, Ding Cervantes