Jollibee Group Foundation, the social development arm of Jollibee Group, recently signed a memorandum of agreement with the DepEd for the adoption of the central kitchen model for School-based Feeding Program, which aims to alleviate hunger among school-aged children.

DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara led the signing ceremonies with JGF president Gisela Tiongson at the DepEd office on 11 December.

Under the partnership, JGF will provide capacity building support to share its expertise on implementing the central kitchen model with partner public schools, local government units, and local partners under the JGF Busog, Lusog, Talino Program.

This partnership is expected to benefit thousands of students from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao in the next one and a half years.

The foundation first launched the BLT Program in 2007, recognizing the need to address hunger, a key factor contributing to low school attendance and high drop-out rates among public elementary students.

In 2016, with DepEd implementing the school-based feeding program nationwide, JGF transitioned its approach by focusing on the establishment of central kitchens, reinforcing its commitment to promoting better access to food.

To date, it has spearheaded the creation of 41 central kitchens nationwide, providing continuous support to DepEd’s SBFP. Since its inception, the program has served meals to over 270,000 students from the direct feeding approach and the shift to establishing central kitchens.

“The BLT Kitchens centralize the preparation and distribution of meals, feeding thousands of students with less time and effort,” Tiongson said “By working with DepEd and the support of the local government units, private institutions and parent volunteers in utilizing the central kitchen model, we can help mitigate hunger and give students better chances of continuing their education.”

JGF will also support the development of training centers for central kitchen management. Under the partnership, 15 of JGF’s existing BLT partner schools will serve as learning hubs for organizations aiming to establish their own central kitchens.

To ensure consistent and sustainable implementation, JGF will create guidebooks and learning video materials for DepEd personnel and BLT partners.

These resources will help standardize processes and support the long-term success of the initiative.

So far, 29 DepEd Central and Regional personnel have participated in a four-day training led by JGF.

These trained personnel will serve as coaches who will coordinate with local government units in setting up central kitchens for school and community feeding.