CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY -- The local government here and the National Dairy Authority in Region 10 (NDA-10) have agreed to jointly undertake a milk feeding program amounting to PHP1.9 million.
Under the partnership deal signed between NDA-10 Manager Roy Antonio Hojas and Mayor Oscar Moreno on Monday (Oct. 29), the feeding would run for 120 days starting next month up to March next year.
Moreno said the program would provide chocolate-flavored fresh milk to about 1,230 children age three to five. The milk will be supplied by a cooperative-run dairy processing company based in El Salvador City, Misamis Oriental.
The supplier -- the Northern Mindanao Federation of Dairy Cooperative -- availed last year of a PHP20 million support from the Department of Agriculture (DA) for the improvement of its facilities.
Moreno said the program will initially start in at least 14 villages.
"The city government is committed to pursue this program with the support of the City Council (members) who appropriate the budget," Moreno said, adding he hopes the feeding initiative will eventually cover the city's 80 villages.
The mayor said the local government has won the Green Banner Award for Nutrition for two consecutive years because of its nutrition initiatives.
Meanwhile, Hojas underscored the importance of dairy-based nutrition program, pointing out the country's National Dairy Sufficiency rate stands at only 1 percent.
This means, he said, the country cannot cope with the demand of fresh milk for population --especially undernourished children. (PNA)
