For every 100 students who enter grade 1 in the Philippines, only 40 end up finishing high school; and 20 of the 60 who drop out do so before the 3rd grade.

This is not due to lack of access, since education in the country's public schools is free up to high school, but more due to lack of motivation on the part of the students and their families.

The reasons behind the high drop out rate are socio-economic in nature – children need to help their parents earn additional income for their families' sustenance; there's not enough money for school supplies and other school-related needs; and children do not have enough to eat.

Nourishing bodies, feeding minds

To address the problem of hunger and malnutrition among schoolchildren, Jollibee Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of the Philippines' largest food service conglomerate Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC), embarked on a school feeding campaign, dubbed "Busog, Lusog, Talino" (BLT) Program.