Supplementary milk feeding program of the University of the East-Caloocan Campus

Abstract

The national milk-feeding program is one of the intervention strategies implemented by the Philippine government to trim down country's growing problem on malnutrition and provide steady market for locally produced fresh milk. School-aged children shall be given utmost priority particularly the undernourished and deprived who are most vulnerable to infections and diseases with usually serious implications. Next preference are pregnant women, nursing mothers, and elderly residing in rural communities where prevalence of malnutrition high. Milk is often believed to be a complete food and healthy beverage well suited to meeting nutritional objectives. Consumption of milk and other dairy products is associated with a lot of health benefits. For this reason, the University of the East being an engaged university to education and community development launched its first supplementary milk-feeding program in September 2011. For direct intake within 90 days minimum, the beneficiaries will be supplied with fresh buffalo milk in 200-ml. sachets. Said milk comes in different flavors such as chocolate, strawberry, malunggay, yogurt and pasteurized milk. The school-based SMFP targeted pupils with low nutritional status from UE's adopted day care centers. Initially, there were fifty-five pupils chosen as experimental group. This paper intends to analyze how effective milk nutrition program is in terms of improving their physical condition and academic performances.