MBHTE Launches Expanded Home-Grown School Feeding Program in Maguindanao del Norte
MATANOG, MAGUINDANAO DEL
NORTE (July 29, 2025) — To mark the start of School Year 2025–2026, the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE) officially launched the Home-Grown School Feeding (HGSF) Program and celebrated the Culmination of Nutrition Month on July 29 at the Mohammad Ali S. Guro Gymnasium in Matanog, Maguindanao del Norte.
The event brought together MBHTE officials, local government leaders, educators, and learners in a joint celebration of health, education, and community development.
This school year marks a major expansion of the HGSF Program in Maguindanao del Norte. With 19 additional schools and 3 more municipalities joining, the program now covers 28 schools across 10 municipalities, set to benefit 10,451 learners. Each child will receive daily nutritious meals for 175 feeding days, with ingredients sourced from local farmers and fisherfolk—linking school nutrition directly to local livelihood support.
In his keynote address, MBHTE Minister Mohagher M. Iqbal emphasized the moral and strategic importance of the program.
“This is not charity; this is justice,” Minister Iqbal said. “We must ensure that poverty or hunger does not stand in the way of learning. When we invest in nutrition, we invest in peace, prosperity, and the future of the Bangsamoro,” he added.
Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Alma Abdula-Nor echoed this commitment to learners’ well-being, urging the community to continue the spirit of Nutrition Month daily.
“Let this celebration not end today, but continue every day—in our classrooms, in our homes, and in our communities. When we feed a child, we nourish not just the body, but also the hope for a better future,” said SDS Abdula-Nor.
The MBHTE on its post said that the event also featured messages of support from Mr. Hidenori Akasaka, First Secretary of the Embassy of Japan, as well as local leaders including Dr. Baiking Balinte (representing Maguindanao del Norte Governor Hon. Datu Tucao O. Mastura), Mayor Zohria S. Bansil-Guro of Matanog, and Brigadier General Larry Batalla, reaffirming a shared commitment to learner health and safe school environments.
The MBHTE also acknowledged the invaluable support of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). Their partnership ensures that no Bangsamoro learner is left behind—particularly when it comes to meeting basic nutritional needs.
A highlight of the launch was the ceremonial distribution of program support items to participating schools, including kitchen utensils, iron-fortified rice, garden tools and seeds, and deworming supplies. This was followed by a school feeding demonstration, commitment wall signing, and mural painting, underscoring the program’s focus on community engagement, inter-agency collaboration, and learner support.
The MBHTE reaffirmed its broader commitment to not only providing access to education but also creating the conditions in which every learner in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) can thrive—physically, mentally, and academically. (Tu Alid Alfonso, BMN/BangsamoroToday )
