The Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) have rolled out new guidelines to strengthen the government’s school-based feeding program.

The new Joint Administrative Order ensures that milk reaches schools on time, meets food safety standards, and is properly monitored from procurement to delivery.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara emphasized that the strengthened guidelines are meant to ensure that every child who needs supplementation receives it without unnecessary delays while giving greater support to Filipino dairy farmers.

“This is about making sure every child receives the nutrition they need to learn while ensuring that government support reaches the Filipino farmers who produce our milk,” Angara said.

The move builds on the government’s long-running nutrition program under Republic Act No. 11037, or the Masustansyang Pagkain para sa Batang Pilipino Act.

For years, the milk feeding component of the school-based feeding program was implemented through separate agreements between DepEd and its partner agencies. While the program successfully provided milk to thousands of learners, procedures for procurement, delivery, reporting, and coordination differed depending on the implementing area.

Under the new guidelines, DepEd, DA, the National Dairy Authority, and the Philippine Carabao Center will follow one unified system for planning, procurement, delivery, and monitoring of milk feeding nationwide, replacing previous arrangements where implementation varied across different areas.

The guidelines also strengthen quality control by requiring uniform inspection procedures, clearer accountability among agencies, and regular monitoring of implementation. Problems such as delayed deliveries or product quality issues will now have standard protocols for immediate action instead of being handled differently in each area.

Another key change is the stronger push to source milk from local dairy farmers and cooperatives whenever practicable. Aside from improving the nutrition of undernourished learners, the program is expected to generate more stable demand for locally produced fresh milk, helping grow the Philippine dairy industry.

For 2026, the national government allocated P1.848 billion for the milk feeding component under the National Dairy Authority, which provides milk to eligible public school learners nationwide.