#ProjectBaon: School Meals for Filipino Kids!

Dear Friends and Partners,

We are excited to tell you of what is happening at our different feeding stations. 

• Angono Feeding Station - A new feeding station was launched last November 7, 2016. This was made possible through the partnership of Seeing the Dawn Christian Ministry. 30 kidshave been screened and selected  to be part of this program.
• Pinesville Feeding Station - Feeding program was concluded last November 18, 2016. About 80% of the beneficiaris increased in weight. According to parents,  their children  are no longer picky eaters especially when vegetables are served. They have also have good appetite nowadays.
• Pangasinan Feeding Station - the team of Reach Out Feed Philippines conducted a Parenting Seminar to 20 parents. In addition, Alpha Gallo, one of our coordinators taught parents on how to prepare healthy, nutritous and budget friendly meals. A collection of healthy and economical recipe booklet was provided so that parents can add a twist to their usual meal. 
• Aside from daily feeding program, 80 kids from 3 different locations (Sta. Cruz Zambales, Brgy Dolores Taytay and Presentacion, Camarines Sur) are provided with weekly meals.

Through your partnership with us we were able to serve 3,499 nutritious meals to 205 Filipino children. 

There are more children to be reached, nourished and empowered. Friends and partners, we are so thankful for all your contribution in this advocacy. 

Here's a testimony of one of our staff members, of the impact of the feeding program to our beneficiaries and to their families 

As I visit different stations, these are some of the things I have observed

Besides the food that we serve to  beneficiaries, these children have developed admirable characters such as

Discipline- once they arrive at the feeding stations, they already know where they have to sit or where their assigned tables are. In Pinesville, kids know that every week they have to be weighed and that they need to fall in line and wait for their turn before they could get inside the station.

Leadership -  In Pangasinan, each table has a team leader, each team leader knows that every after meal he/she has to gather all the lunch boxes of his/her team and bring them to washing area. Isn't it great?!

Volunteerism – Before, volunteer staff says grace before kids can eat, but now, kids themselves volunteer to bless the food.

I’ve asked several kids why they regularly come to our stations. I was surprised with their answer. Not only do they come for food, but because  they  are taught/ they learn something, thay are valued.  Parents testified that their children have shown improvements not only in weight but  in academics and behavior  as well .  #projectbaon is beyond serving meals,  it’s ensuring that kids are aided to reach their potential.

Olive Titong

Staff Member

Together, we all can make a difference to the lives of Filipino Children!

With gratitude on behalf of th whole team,

Dawn Marie F. Cabigon

Founder, Reach Out and Feed Philippines Inc.

Brothers Ronald and Rommel , are two of the thirty (30) beneficiaries of the #ProjectBaon program launched in Barangay Tarece, San Carlos City Pangasinan last June.

Here’s a report from our Program Coordinator direct from the field: (See English translation below)

“Si Ronald po ay bunso sa 3 magkakapatid. Ang kanyang Ama ay magsasaka at nagkakaroon lamang ng kita tuwing magtatanim at mag aani. Ang kanyang Ina naman po ay sa bahay lang gumagawa ng kaing para makatulong sa gastusin. Silang magkakapatid po ay nag-aaral sa publikong paaralan. Madalas po hirap talaga sila pagdating sa pagkain,baon sa skul at lalo na tuwing sila’y magkaksakit.

Si Ronald ay kulang sa nutrisyon dahil hindi sapat ang kanilang pagkain sa bahay. Madalas noodles at tuyo ang kanilang ulam dahil iyon lang kaya ng kanilang budget. Kapag tag-ulan halos walang kita ang kanyang mga magulang dahil walang kawayan na maaring gawing kaing at kapag nakatapos ng magtanim ilang buwan pa bago sila kumita kailangan pang antayin ang panahon ng anihan.

Kaya may mga panahon na hindi sila nakakakain ng 3 beses sa ilang araw.Malaki ang pasasalamat ng kanyang mga magulang na nakasama silang dalawang magkapatid na si Rommel sa beneficiaries ng Reach Out and Feed Philippines. Sa halos magdadalawang buwan na itinakbo ng programa ay nadagdagan ang kanilang mga timbang. Sa tulong din ng Feeding Program ay natutulungan din sila sa kanilang Academics sa pamamagitan ng araw araw na pag-aaral at pagtuturo.”

“Ronald is the youngest of 3 kids. His dad is a farmer and only gets an income in times of harvest. His mom is a housewife and weaves fruit baskets made of bamboo strips to help out with their family expenses. Providing the daily school meals or baon is one major difficulty of his parents in sending him and his siblings to school everyday.

Ronald is undernourished due to the food usually served in their household. Their daily meal would usually consist of instant noodles and rice OR rice and dried fish – that is all his parents can afford. Worst is that during the rainy season, his parents would almost have zero income for weeks and months, as there are no bamboo strips available to make the fruit baskets, and they would wait for months for the next harvest time.

These are also the times when Ronald and his siblings would eat less than 3x a day.

The parents of Ronald and Rommel is thankful that they are now a beneficiary of Reach Out and Feed Philippines. Their weight has increased in the last two months of being part of the program. They are improving in their academics as well in school!”

-Xenia Vergara-Diez, Program Coordinator,
Barangay Tarece, San Carlos City Pangasinan

We are pleased to report that since the start of school year 2016-2017 last June, Reach Out and Feed Philippines have already launched 3 full time Feeding locations and 2 Outreach locations as follows:

List of Full time feeding locations, with daily provision of school meals from Monday-Friday
1. Barangay Tarece, Pangasinan with 30 beneficiaries
2. Taytay Elementary School with 40 beneficiaries
3. Pinesville, Taytay Rizal with 30 kids

List of Outreach locations, Once a week feeding activity. (Awaiting funding to convert to full time feeding locations)
1. Bicol Adjangao with 40 beneficiaries
2. Barangay Dolores Taytay Rizal with 30 beneficiaries

The team would love to increase the beneficiaries per location as we receive sufficient funding. Moreover, Five more feeding locations with qualified beneficiaries are still lined up, awaiting funding to launch.

No help is small when put together, we can all create a lasting impact in the lives of these Filipino children and give them a better chance for the future.  We do seek your support as we complete the funding this school year to complete the target number of Feeding locations.

Again, our big thanks to all of you, our friends and partners in this advocacy as we all make a contribution in fighting malnutrition in the Philippines - one child at a time

On behalf of the #ProjectBaon team,

Dawn Marie F. Cabigon

Founder, Reach Out and Feed Philippines Inc.