The Davao City government is preparing to roll out a school-based feeding program for the upcoming academic year that aims to provide students with nutritious hot lunch meals through a partnership with the Department of Education 11 (DepEd 11).
The initiative, which will be implemented under Project Advancing Learners through Accessible, Guaranteed and Adequate Nutrition (Project ALAGA), is backed by a proposed Memorandum of Agreement between the city government and DepEd 11 that is set for second reading before the 21st Davao City Council.
Councilor Antoinette Principe, chairperson of the Committee on Education, Science and Technology, said the program will initially be introduced through a pilot implementation.
Principe explained during Pulong Pulong sa Dabawenyo that DepEd will serve as the lead implementing agency since it already operates an existing school-based feeding program, while the city government will provide additional support to strengthen its implementation.
To address Davao City’s wide geographical coverage, the program will adopt a hybrid system that includes the establishment of a central kitchen and separate facilities for remote communities.
A central kitchen will be built at Sta. Ana Elementary School, where meals will be prepared, cooked, packed, and distributed to nearby partner schools.
Among the schools identified as beneficiaries are Agdao Elementary School, Kapitan Tomas Monteverde Sr. Central Elementary School, Congressman Manuel M. Garcia Elementary School, Jose Rizal Elementary School, and Manuel Roxas-Zonta Elementary School.
For geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDA), additional kitchens will also be established to support selective feeding programs in schools including Baksarpa Elementary School, Malakeba Elementary School, Manawang Elementary School, Tagaibo Elementary School, Kabangbang Elementary School, Sumilop Elementary School, and Upian Elementary School.
Principe said preparations for the program are already underway, including menu planning for 2025 and training for kitchen personnel focused on food safety and hygiene standards.
She added that similar preparations will also be conducted for School Year 2026–2027.
According to Principe, students covered by the feeding program will undergo regular weight monitoring to assess improvements in their nutritional status and school attendance.
The program has an initial allocation of P20 million intended for infrastructure and salaries of kitchen personnel, while the majority of funding is expected to come from DepEd, which plans to allocate P25 per child for 200 school days.
Principe said the final number of beneficiaries is still being determined pending enrollment figures for School Year 2026–2027.
