Bislig is joining the Jollibee Group Foundation's Busog, Lusog, Talino (BLT) school feeding program, with a kitchen planned in Barangay Mangagoy. The city council approved the agreements in three resolutions passed between May and June 2026, all published on the city government's website.
What the council approved
Resolution No. 2026-447 (May 26, 2026) declared the council's strong support for the BLT School Feeding Program and encouraged city offices to coordinate with the program's partners. It noted that the program helps improve "nutritional status, school attendance, classroom participation, and overall well-being" of beneficiaries. Copies went to the foundation, the Department of Education and the City Nutrition Office.
Resolution No. 2026-497 (June 16, 2026) authorized Mayor Florencio C. Garay to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with four parties: the Jollibee Group Foundation, Inc., the Department of Education (DepEd) Bislig City Division, Barangay Mangagoy and the city government. The agreement is for the "BLT Kitchen Program in support of the School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP)."
Resolution No. 2026-498 (June 16, 2026) authorized the mayor to sign a separate Memorandum of Agreement with the foundation, naming the city government as the program's "Local Implementing Partner." It covers the BLT School Feeding Program "and other related programs under the agreement."
The resolutions do not say how many schools or pupils will be served, where exactly in Mangagoy the kitchen will stand, or when the first meals will be cooked. Bislig Today will report those details once the city or DepEd releases them.
How BLT kitchens work
The BLT program began in 2007. In 2016, the foundation changed its approach to complement DepEd's nationwide School-Based Feeding Program and began building central kitchens, Edge Davao reported in August 2019. Meals are prepared in one kitchen and delivered to pupils in nearby public elementary schools.
That report, on a new BLT kitchen in Mati City, Davao Oriental, described how the costs are split: DepEd pays for the meals, while the foundation builds the kitchen, provides equipment and arranges training. Parent volunteers ran that kitchen every day, and undernourished pupils received lunch for 120 days to help keep them from dropping out because of hunger. At the time, there were 33 BLT kitchens nationwide. In other cities, the local government or a partner institution serves as the "local implementing partner" that oversees operations, the same role Bislig's agreement gives the city.
Why it matters this school year
The kitchen arrives as DepEd runs its largest feeding program yet. The Philippine Daily Inquirer reported in March 2026 that DepEd set aside P25.6 billion for School-Based Feeding in School Year 2026-2027, more than double the 2025 amount, covering about 4.63 million learners.
According to that report, feeding days rose from 120 to 200. All Kindergarten and Grade 1 pupils are covered, while Grades 2 to 6 pupils who are classified as undernourished continue to be targeted. Republic Act No. 11037, the Masustansyang Pagkain para sa Batang Pilipino Act, sets the legal minimum at one fortified meal a day for undernourished public elementary pupils for at least 120 days a year.
A central kitchen makes it easier to cook that many meals consistently, which is a big job for schools that lack their own canteen or cooks.
For parents
Feeding lists are drawn up by schools based on DepEd's nutritional assessments. Parents who want to know whether their child is included should ask the school head or the school's feeding coordinator.
Sources: City of Bislig, Sangguniang Panlungsod Resolution Nos. 2026-447 (May 26, 2026), 2026-497 and 2026-498 (June 16, 2026), published at bislig.gov.ph; Philippine Daily Inquirer via Asia News Network (March 25, 2026); Republic Act No. 11037; Edge Davao (August 2019).