EVALUATING SCHOOL-BASED FEEDING PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH LEARNERS' NUTRITIONAL STATUS AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN TAGO DISTRICT, SURIGAO DEL SUR

This study evaluated the implementation of the School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP) and its implications for the nutritional status and academic performance of elementary learners in Tago District, Surigao del Sur during the School Year 2025-2026. Specifically, it examined the implementation of the program in terms of budget and resource allocation, food preparation and meal quality, program management and monitoring, and stakeholder involvement; assessed its perceived influence on learners’ nutritional status and academic performance; determined the relationships between SBFP implementation and learner outcomes; explored the lived experiences of program implementers; and identified measures for program improvement. A mixed-methods sequential-correlational research design was employed in three elementary schools in Tago District, involving 122 respondents composed of school heads, SBFP coordinators, and beneficiary learners, with qualitative inputs from program implementers. Data were gathered through a researcher-developed questionnaire, interviews, and school records and analyzed using weighted means, frequency and percentage, t-test, Pearson correlation, and thematic analysis. Results showed that SBFP implementation was highly implemented overall (AWM = 3.99), with program management and monitoring obtaining the highest rating (AWM = 4.07). The program was perceived to influence learners’ nutritional status to a very great extent (AWM = 4.25) and academic performance to a great extent (AWM = 4.18). SBFP implementation had a significant positive relationship with nutritional status (r = 0.68, p < .001) and academic performance (r = 0.66, p < .001). Qualitative findings revealed challenges involving workload, resource and logistical constraints, stakeholder engagement, nutrition-learning integration, and food acceptability. The study recommends strengthening food quality, timely delivery, monitoring systems, nutrition education, stakeholder participation, and sustainable resource support to enhance the implementation and educational benefits of the SBFP.