Cebu is about to start its "lugaw" or porridge feeding program for students on Wednesday, 15 November.
Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia said each student will get a bowl of "lugaw" during school days to combat malnutrition.
She said members of the Parent-Teacher Associations will do the cooking, while vegetables and other ingredients of the meal will be sourced from the school's Sugbusog garden.
About 534 sacks of rice per day are needed to feed the estimated 878,000 students from kindergarten to senior high school.
The National Food Authority in Central Visayas (NFA-7) assured 5,000 bags for the school feeding program.
Garcia added that the sustainability of the Sugbusog program is crucial to the success of the school feeding program.
The provincial government will provide the rice to the LGUs for distribution to the school districts.
There are over 1,400 public schools all over Cebu, excluding the cities of Cebu and Lapu-Lapu.
The feeding program, according to the governor, will not discriminate against everyone, unlike other feeding programs whose beneficiaries are chosen based on nourishment classification.
The feeding program will be officially launched in the town of Tabogon and simultaneously by all public schools in the province.
The capitol also procured materials needed for the program such as cauldrons, bowls, and utensils.