First Secretary AKASAKA visits the Farm-to-School Meals Programme Sites in BARMM
2026/1/16
From 12 to 14 January 2026, First Secretary and Agriculture Attaché Mr. AKASAKA Hidenori visited the related sites of the Farm-to-School Meals Programme in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). This project is implemented by the World Food Programme (WFP) with support from the Government of Japan.
Mr. Akasaka paid a courtesy call on Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education Minister Mohagher M. Iqbal to express Japan’s gratitude for the Ministry’s support of the Farm-to-School Meals Programme. Minister Iqbal, in turn, thanked the Government of Japan for the project and for Japan’s other development initiatives in BARMM.
Mr. Akasaka then visited the Upi Organic Farming Agriculture Cooperative and the Masabar Producers Cooperative, two (2) farmer associations supported under the project. Through this initiative, the cooperatives have been linked to school feeding communities as suppliers, providing their farmers with a stable and reliable market for their produce.
In addition to facilitating market access through school feeding programmes, the project provides capacity-building support to enhance farmers’ skills, productivity, and sustainability.
In his message, Mr. Akasaka encouraged the farmers to sustain and build upon the benefits and knowledge gained through the project to further improve their livelihoods, while continuing to contribute to the provision of nutritious meals for children participating in the school meals programme.
Mr. Akasaka also visited Campo Cuatro Elementary School in Datu Abdullah Sangki, one of the beneficiaries of the project., where he met with students, teachers, and local government officials. In his message to the students, Mr. Akasaka underscored the importance of well-balanced meals in terms of their health, growth, and academic ability. He also encouraged them to study diligently and pursue their dreams.
Mr. Akasaka paid a courtesy call on Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education Minister Mohagher M. Iqbal to express Japan’s gratitude for the Ministry’s support of the Farm-to-School Meals Programme. Minister Iqbal, in turn, thanked the Government of Japan for the project and for Japan’s other development initiatives in BARMM.
Mr. Akasaka then visited the Upi Organic Farming Agriculture Cooperative and the Masabar Producers Cooperative, two (2) farmer associations supported under the project. Through this initiative, the cooperatives have been linked to school feeding communities as suppliers, providing their farmers with a stable and reliable market for their produce.
In addition to facilitating market access through school feeding programmes, the project provides capacity-building support to enhance farmers’ skills, productivity, and sustainability.
In his message, Mr. Akasaka encouraged the farmers to sustain and build upon the benefits and knowledge gained through the project to further improve their livelihoods, while continuing to contribute to the provision of nutritious meals for children participating in the school meals programme.
Mr. Akasaka also visited Campo Cuatro Elementary School in Datu Abdullah Sangki, one of the beneficiaries of the project., where he met with students, teachers, and local government officials. In his message to the students, Mr. Akasaka underscored the importance of well-balanced meals in terms of their health, growth, and academic ability. He also encouraged them to study diligently and pursue their dreams.