Nourishing futures through nutrition and partnership

Access to proper nutrition has often been correlated with a child’s ability to learn. Their participation in school and opportunity to reach their full potential lie in the hands of the nourishment that they receive.

Recognizing this connection, FrieslandCampina and its Philippine operating company, Alaska Milk Corp. (AMC), have continued their efforts in support of Filipino children through the School-Based Milk Feeding Program.

The commitment was renewed during a ceremonial turnover in San Pedro City, Laguna, attended by representatives from the Department of Education (DepEd), local government officials, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and leaders from FrieslandCampina’s global and regional teams.

Front and center of the initiative is the desire to give children access to the nutrients they need during their formative years. For the main component of the program, AMC has donated 12,000 pieces of 33 grams of Alaska Fortified Powdered Milk Drink per school year over the next two school years, which will provide daily milk servings to 100 student beneficiaries for 120 school days annually.

“It’s very important that we all collaborate for the well-being of our students,” San Pedro City Assistant Schools Division Superintendent Phillip B. Gallendez said during the turnover ceremony. “One of the major problems that contributed to the literacy of our learners is their health, especially those students who are coming from poor families. That’s why we are very thankful to Alaska for partnering with us in ensuring that these students will be able to have a healthy lifestyle, healthy well-being, because that is very much contributory in their daily lives.”

This continues the strong partnership between AMC and DepEd. Since 2018, the company’s School-Based Milk Feeding Program has reached more than 135,000 students in over 3,500 schools nationwide. Last school year alone, free milk was provided to more than 2,500 students across 66 schools, with the aim of helping improve access to nutrition in communities.

“We believe that every child deserves access to safe, nutritious, affordable, and accessible nutrition,” said AMC Managing Director Tarang Gupta. “For over 50 years, we have remained committed to nourishing Filipino families. As FrieslandCampina’s operating company in the Philippines, we bring our purpose of nourishing by nature to life by making quality dairy nutrition more accessible and by working with communities to address nutrition challenges.”

Alongside the milk donation, AMC turned over 150 recycled school chairs produced in partnership with social enterprise Plastic Flamingo (PlaF). 70 chairs were donated to San Pedro Central Elementary School, while 80 were provided to the Schools Division Office of San Pedro City.

The school chairs are made entirely from recycled single-use plastic, effectively reusing waste materials and turning them into durable classroom furniture that meets DepEd’s standards. Each chair is manufactured using approximately 20 kilograms of recovered plastic waste, helping divert single-use plastics away from the environment while providing schools with long-lasting educational resources. This donation also contributes to the company’s efforts to help spur local recycling industry and its compliance to Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) law.

On a global scale, FrieslandCampina views the initiative as part of a larger mission to support children’s nutrition and advocate for their future success. Addressing the students gathered during the turnover ceremony, FrieslandCampina Chief Executive Officer Jan Derck van Karnebeek emphasized the company’s belief that good nutrition is the foundation for learning and growth.

“We have a reason why we exist, and that’s nourishing by nature. It’s to provide nourishment to you, and that’s terribly important because you, as children of the Philippines, are the future of this country. Making sure you’re healthy and making sure you are able to concentrate to learn is important, and at the base of that is good nutrition, which as a company, we are proud to help provide,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the Philippines Marielle Geraedts noted that the initiative demonstrates how partnerships can create meaningful and lasting benefits for local communities.

“This event represents far more than just a handful of milk and chairs. It stands as a symbol of shared commitment to tackling two pressing challenges in the Philippines, malnutrition and educational inequality,” she said.

“This year, the Philippines and the Netherlands celebrate 75 years of bilateral relations. This initiative perfectly illustrates how Dutch investments are creating a positive impact in Filipino communities. I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara and his colleagues for fostering the enduring partnership between the Dutch Government and the Department of Education,” Ms. Geraedts added.

Similarly, San Pedro City Mayor Art Joseph Francis Mercado highlighted how partnerships among government, schools, families, and the private sector can help build stronger foundations for the next generation.

“Every chair, every glass of milk, and every investment made for our students sends a powerful message that our children matter and that their dreams deserve support. This initiative also reminds an important truth: that no single institution can build a future alone. The government cannot do it alone. Schools cannot do it alone. Parents cannot do it alone. The private sector cannot do it alone. Real and lasting projects happen when all sectors work together toward a better world,” he said.

In this regard, AMC has also supported local dairy development programs building the capacity of Filipino dairy farmers. In partnership with the National Dairy Authority, the University of the Philippines Los Baños Dairy Training and Research Institute, and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Manila, the company provides free training to local dairy farmers and cooperatives on improving milk yield and quality, and farmer incomes, which have benefited nearly 2,600 farmers.

Likewise, AMC has programs with select customers where a portion of the sales from Alaska Milk products sold in retail stores or supermarkets were donated to schools in the form of school supplies and other school requirements. Tangibly, the program has led to a donation of a water tank to a last-mile school last year, on top of the milk delivered to them.

As FrieslandCampina and AMC continue their efforts in using milk to boost the Philippines’ nutrition, education, and dairy development, the company hopes to contribute to a healthier and more resilient future for the next generation of Filipinos.

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