THE city government of Manila has relaunched its milk-feeding project, expanding its coverage to more than 60,000 public school students to address stunting and malnutrition in the city.
During the launch of "Yormilk 2.0" at the Dr. Alejandro Albert Elementary School on Monday, Mayor Isko Moreno said the initiative, which provides regular milk supplies to students from daycare to Grade 1, is being expanded after its initial rollout covered children aged 3 to 5 years old in more than 400 daycare centers.
“So from 20,000, we are now going to address more in 60,000-plus students, public school students in the city of Manila,” Moreno said.
The program was conceived after a study by the Manila Department of Social Welfare found 1,593 children in the city's child development centers to be “wasted” or “severely wasted,” which refers to children who are dangerously underweight for their height due to acute malnutrition.
The milk used in the program was sourced directly from local cattle farmers, supporting agricultural livelihoods while ensuring nutritious milk for students.
Moreno is optimistic that investing in children’s nutrition and education will yield long-term benefits for the city, envisioning a future where these young beneficiaries could become leaders, professionals, and contributors to society.
"No child will be left behind when it comes to health, nutrition and education," the mayor said in Filipino.
The program forms part of the city’s pillars of Manila’s broader Minimum Basic Needs (MBN) strategy, which prioritizes housing, education, health care and job creation.
During its first rollout back in January, the program received criticism from those who said the name "Yormilk" was a play on Moreno's nickname, "Yorme" and milk, and accused him of using the initiative for self-promotion and for violating the “anti-epal” policy.
Moreno has ignored the criticism and defended the program.
