CCES holds 4th BLT Culminating Activity
The Center for Community and Extension Services (CCES) Office held the 4th Busog, Lusog, Talino (BLT) Culminating activity on April 8, 2015 at the JMR Function Hall Ateneo de Zamboanga University Salvador Campus.
The culminating activity is usually held at the end of every implementing year to conclude the 120-day in-school feeding program of the Jollibee Group Foundation (JGF) dubbed as the Busog, Lusog, Talino (BLT). It aims to work with the communities to improve the nutritional status of pupils, help them stay in school and learn better. The culminating activity was held to celebrate on the achievements and gains of the program for the School Year 2014 – 2015. It was also held to recognize the support and commitment of the implementers on the ground.
The Center for Community Extension Services, in collaboration with DepEd, has been the local implementing partner of JGF in Zamboanga City since 2011. Within four years of project implementation, CCES was able to partner with the following public elementary schools in the city which, according to DepEd Division Office, have the most number of undernourished kids:
- Sangali Elementary School
- Talisayan Elementary School
- Lunzuran Elementary School
- Sinunuc Elementary School
- EAAB Elementary School
- Malagutay Elementary School
- Mercedes Central School
On its fourth year, the program was able to rehabilitate 600 pupils. JGF, thru CCES, partners with each school for 3 years, providing 75% funding for the feeding on the first year, 50% fund on the second year, and 25% fund on the last year. The schools are capacitated to mobilize resources and to sustain the program so that they will be able to implement it by themselves on the fourth year.
Present during the 4th culminating activity were CCES Director, Ms Loreta R Sta Teresa, CCES Program Officer for Health and Nutrition, Ms Janed A Chan, DepEd Schools Division Superintendent OIC, Mr Pedro Melchor M. Natividad, CSEE and Division Medical Office IV, Dr. Mary Ruth Yanga. The school principals, feeding coordinators of the partner schools and district nurses of DepEd were also present. Ms Ruth Guerrero, Coordinator of the Ateneo High School Social Action (AHSA) was also present. AHSA is the sub-local implementing partner of CCES. They adopted the Lunzuran Elementary School for the program.
Two schools received a special award this year. The Lunzuran Elem. School received a plaque of appreciation for completing the 3-year partnership with CCES. Mercedes Central School received the Best BLT school award for having been chosen as one of the top 10 finalists for Mindanao in the first National BLT excellence award of the JGF. Certificates of appreciation were also distributed to school principals and feeding coordinators. CCES Project Officer, Ms Janed Chan, also presented the program report as well as the plans for the coming school year 2015-2016.
Mr Natividad, in his speech during the program stated that they are “thankful that programs like BLT are there to assist our schools to address hunger among our pupils. JGF has already initiated the program so the challenge is for us (DepEd) to be able sustain it and I trust that we can sustain it.”
For donations to the BLT in-school feeding program, please contact CCES at 991 0871 local 1100 or email cces@host.adzu.edu.ph/revamp
