Feeding school kids the ‘Pepsigla’ way

MANILA, Philippines - “The difference that proper nutrition makes in a young child is immeasurable, and Pepsigla is our way to help narrow the nutrition gap in our communities.”

Having said that, Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines Inc. (PCPPI) president Furqan Ahmed Syed flashed the green light for the launch of Pepsigla in three elementary schools in Muntinlupa City, Metro Manila involving 90 pupils categorized as “wasted to severely wasted.” Simply put, the children are malnourished by generally accepted standards.

“Being so new here in the Philippines myself, I’ve been so fortunate to be surrounded by such a dynamic team of Filipinos. Through Pepsigla, we will continue that vitality across the Philippines, and what better way to do this than by nurturing our young, so they can get the education that they deserve,” Syed stressed.

Pepsigla, is the beverage manufacturer’s program for school feeding, being implemented in partnership with Kabisig ng Kalahi, a non-government organization focused on helping empower underprivileged Filipino families. Supplemental feeding is a flagship undertaking being carried out nationwide by Kabisig under the leadership of its president Victoria Wieneke. Todate, over 100,000 malnourished children nationwide have received nutritional intervention under the Kabisig program.

PCPPI now has nine elementary schools covered by Pepsigla; five of them in Luzon, two in the Visayas, and two in Zamboanga City in Mindanao. In all likelihood, more schools are forthcoming as long as mass poverty that breeds malnutrition among the marginalized sector persists.

The six other schools are P.Gomez Elementary School and PR San Diego Elementary School, both in Metro Manila; Bacay  Elementary School in Tulay, Minglanilla, Cebu; Sto. Nino Elementary School in Sto.Nino,Tanauan, Leyte; Mercedes Central School and Taluksangay Elementary School, both in Zamboanga City.

Pepsi shared that during its pilot run last year, the school feeding program being executed on six-month basis yielded close to 100-percent substantial weight gain for some 90 pupils, age five to 10 years old, who were initially classified as “wasted to severely wasted.” After completing the 120-day regimen, 87 percent of the pupils were fully rehabilitated to normal health levels.

The scientifically developed daily lunch, being given to the wards under the supervision of a school nurse, consisted of indigenous but highly nutritious vegetables plus one glass of milk.

To ensure that the feeding program is non-obtrusive, no child is admitted without parental consent.

A survey by the Food and Nutritional Research Institute showed that a sizable percentage of Filipino school children remained underweight despite various efforts by both the government and the private sector to ensure their wellness through nutritional intervention.

Pepsigla aims to make a difference by turning undernourished Filipino children into healthy and academically productive young citizens.