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Jumping over hurdles: How school meals energized a young track athlete

10 June 2025

Caption: Charlene with her BARMM tracksuit and official Palarong Pambansa uniform. Photo by WFP.

School meals are helping children in the Philippines reach their potential.

Caption: Charlene Linaza at the stadium of her dreams: representing BARMM at the Palarong Pambansa in Ilocos Norte. Photo by WFP.

Three years ago, at Bisang Elementary School in Datu Abdullah Sangki, Grade 3 student Charlene Linaza started receiving school meals from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Government with support from the World Food Programme (WFP).

Today, as a Grade 6 student, Charlene has not only grown stronger and healthier—she has also become a champion. From winning her local district meet, she rose to represent the entire BARMM Region in the Athletics 400-metre hurdles (Elementary Girls category) at the recently concluded 65th Palarong Pambansa, the Philippines’ premier national sports competition.

“Hurdles excite me. It also challenges me to be strong and have confidence in myself,” Charlene says. “I am happy that whenever I run and jump, it feels like a victory over fear and fatigue.”

Caption: Bisang Elementary School is located in the mountain barangay (village) of Talisawa. Photo by WFP.

The enduring effects of poverty and conflict continue to hinder communities in BARMM and put lives and livelihoods at risk.

According to government data, 23.63 percent of children in the Philippines are stunted, with children from BARMM being the most affected. When COVID-19 lockdowns were lifted and schools reopened in 2022, the children in Talisawa barely had the energy to go to class. It all changed when Bisang Elementary School was chosen as a pilot school for the Home-Grown School Feeding (HGSF) programme in 2022, led by the BARMM and local governments with WFP’s support.

Under HGSF, children receive daily nutritious meals sourced from local smallholder farmers, with parents volunteering to cook the meals.

“School meals have made a meaningful difference in the lives of children at Bisang Elementary School — not just by filling their stomachs with nutritious, locally sourced meals, but also by fueling their energy, focus, and love for learning,” shares Lorena Caballero, school meals coordinator and Charlene’s class adviser.

Caption: Charlene receiving her school meal from Indigenous Teduray parent-volunteers three years ago. Photo by WFP.

Balancing academics and sports may be challenging, but Charlene is ready for the task. For the Palaro, Charlene trained every day at dawn—running downhill from her school to the neighbouring high school where the region’s athletics trainer awaited. They worked on physical and mental conditioning, enhancing strategy and focus.

Charlene dreams of someday becoming a law enforcement officer and helping her mother, who raised her alone.

“I look forward to going to school every day and tasting what they prepared for us for the day’s meal,” she says. “School meals helped me use my energy in a positive way through sports. It gives me energy for the future.”

Through WFP's Changing Lives Transformation Fund Project and the support of the Government of Japan, the BARMM Government and WFP are expanding the school meals programme to cover 10,000 Bangsamoro learners for the academic year 2025-2026. This will also benefit 5,000 local smallholder farmers serving as food suppliers, empowering the local economy and transforming lives.

Learn more: The road to universal school meals in the Philippines | Philstar.com