Introduction: School feeding programs are a key social safety net in developing nations, aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 2 to achieve zero hunger. Aims: The study aimed to understand the extent of implementation, program effectiveness, and challenges faced by implementers and explored the community's role in the program. Study design: Descriptive and comparative research design Place and Duration of Study: Elementary schools in Negros Occidental, Philippines (School year (2018-2019) Methodology: 21 school heads (using total enumeration) and 160 teachers (using stratified sampling) of 21 elementary schools in Negros Occidental that have implemented the school-based feeding program from 2014-2018 participated in the study. A researcher-made questionnaire based on DepEd Order No. 39 s. 2017 known as the Operational Guidelines on the Implementation of School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP) for School Year 2017-2022 supplemented by DO # 15 s. 2018 was used to collect the data. Results: The extent of implementation of school-based feeding program as a whole (M=4.68, SD=0.28) is very high. When grouped according to designation, both school heads (M=4.82, SD=0.14) and teachers (M=4.68, SD=0.28) rated the implementation as very high. In the areas of policy (M=4.72, SD=0.27); funding mechanism (M=4.72, SD=0.37); and support system (M=4.60, SD=0.41), the extent of implementation is very high. Conclusion: Overall, the program's effectiveness in improving students' nutritional status was high. The study found no significant difference in effectiveness based on a learner's sex, location, or previous program participation. However, there were significant differences in effectiveness when learners were grouped by age, grade, and participation in the 4Ps social welfare program.
Katerese C. Sabrine (Mon,) studied this question.