The Lotte Scholarship Foundation of Korea has rallied behind a school feeding program being pushed by Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines Inc. (PCPPI) across the Philippines.

The program, called PEPSIGLA, is now in its third year of implementation and has already impacted some 1,380 undernourished children in over 25 public schools nationwide.

“With Lotte Scholarship Foundation on board with PEPSIGLA, our battle cry to bring back vitality in the lives of undernourished Filipino children can resonate even further than before. It’s also a mark of pride for us to involve international partners for PEPSIGLA – it is an affirmation that we are on the right track in fostering sustainable stewardship in our communities,” said Jika Dalupan, PCPPI Vice President for Corporate Affairs and Communications.

To date, 95 percent of all beneficiaries have registered 100 percent substantial weight gain; while over 90 percent have attained normal nutritional status, the PEPSIGLA leaders revealed.

Beneficiaries are selected on the basis of their wasted- or severely wasted nutritional status at the start of the school year, as assessed by public school nurses. Once parents give their consent for their children to become PEPSIGLA kids, the youngsters are provided one hot and healthy meal daily for 180 school days, translating into six months of continuous feeding of nutritious foods made up of locally sourced ingredients.

With the help of a non-government organization implementing partner Kabisig ng Kalahi, PEPSIGLA is expanding its horizons to reach more schools in the country, while involving both parents and teachers in transforming the children into healthier citizens.