Education Secretary Sonny Angara on Thursday met with farmer cooperatives, school administrators, and other stakeholders to strengthen farm-to-school links for the Department of Education’s (DepEd) expanded School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP).

At the Tangway Integrated School, Angara met with representatives of nine farmer cooperatives and discussed how local agricultural production can support school feeding efforts and help ensure a steady supply of fresh vegetables for students.

The school is being positioned as a pilot site for a farm-to-school procurement model, which aims to allow farmer cooperatives to directly supply produce to schools.

The approach is expected to create a stable market for farmers while ensuring fresh and nutritious meals for students.

In a statement, Angara underscored the role of agriculture in improving student nutrition and strengthening local communities.

“Kinikilala natin ang mahalagang papel ng ating mga magsasaka, lalo na sa gitna ng mga hamon na kanilang kinakaharap (We recognize the important role of our farmers, especially with the challenges they are now facing),” he said.

“Malaki ang ambag nila sa expanded School-Based Feeding Program na mas marami nang mag-aaral ang maaabot (They have a huge contribution to the expanded School-Based Feeding Program, which will reach more learners).”

For School Year 2026-2027, the DepEd is set to launch the largest SBFP expansion, which is expected to reach 4.63 million learners beginning in June after securing a PHP25.6 billion budget, which is double the PHP11.8 billion allocated in 2025. (PNA)