1. SCALING
SOLUTIONS
The solutions to scaling ACED’s
Blueplate for Better Learning
feeding program
Accomplished by
R. Valerie Sanchez & Laura Bowers
Georgetown University
in partnership with
the Ateneo Center for Educational Development
Executive Director: Mrs. Carmela Oracion
3/f Faber Hall, Ateneo de Manila University, Katipunan Avenue,
Loyola Heights, Quezon City, Philippines, 1108
Phone (+632) 4266001extension 4028/4029
Telefax (+632) 4265693
www.ateneo.edu/aced August 2015

2. “I noticed that before the feeding program, my
child was always listless and his weight really
dropped. After the feeding program, his weight in-
creased and his thinking seems to have matured.
That is why I’m thankful for the feeding program.”
- Mercedes municipality parent volunteer

3. Contents
INTRODUCTION 02
VOLUNTEERS 03
LGU RELATIONS 13
DATA COLLECTION 17
SCHOOL/TEACHER RELATIONS 20
PUBLIC RELATIONS 24
CONCLUSION 29
REFERENCE & REALTED RESOURCES 30
Photographs courtesy of
Hayden Frye & R.Valerie Sanchez
Template design by
R. Valerie Sanchez

4. TABLE OF ACRONYMS 01
TABLE OF ACRONYMS
Contributors to this report
Ateneo Center for Educational Development
Body Mass Index
Department of Education of the Philippines
Department of Social Welfare and Development
Local Government Unit
Misael Santos Manager of ACED
Nicolai Acuan ACED Site Manager for Mercedes Municipality
Ryan Adalem ACED Site Manager for Quezon City
Wilfredo Cabral DepEd Superintendent for Valenzuela City
Rex Gatchalian Mayor of Valenzuela City
Jhoel Loanzon ACED Site Manager for Valenzuela City
Alex Pajarillo Mayor of Mercedes Municipality
Kitchen Volunteers Mercedes & Valenzuela City
Teacher Coordinators Mercedes & Valenzuela City
Note from the Authors
First of all, we would like to thank the ACED
staff for their friendship, generous cooper-
ation, and insight into this project. Nothing
could have been accomplished without the
guidance of great leaders such as Misael
Santos, as well as the countless organizers
and beneficiaries we met in the conduct-
ed interviews. We would also like to thank
Georgetown University, the Beeck Center for
Social Impact + Innovation, the GU Impacts
program, and Mrs. Carmela Oracion for
arranging this internship opportunity for us
at Ateneo. We have learned and grown in
Manila.
This report is filled with countless recommen-
dations. We acknowledge that in order to
complete many of them, big changes will
have to be made. The changes are chal-
lenging, but through our research we believe
that these recommendations will improve
the program and help solve many of the
repetitious problems it has faced. We hope
timelines will be put in place to achieve the
proposed changes. We also encourage
other organizations with feeding programs
to look into this report, as it might help solve
common challenges.
Site Managers
Feeding Coordinator
Feeding Site
Blueplate
Feeding Kitchen
Student Beneficiaries
ACED
BMI
DEP ED
DSWD
LGU
DEFINITIONS
ACED employee assigned as the manager of a site
Teachers at the feeding site assinged to track students
A school desginated to hold the feeding program
‘
Short for ‘Blueplate for Better Learning Feeding Program’
The central feeding kitchen where meals are prepared
Students selected to take part in the feeding program

5. Children beneficiaries at Doña Juana
Elementary School, Quezon City
“How can we sleep knowing so
many of the children in our city
are hungry?”
-Congressman Win Gatchalian
Upon Father Nebres’ visit to GK Village in
Payatas Trese, a principal asked him if Ate-
neo could provide 400 food packs for the
400 poorest families in her school. Father Ne-
bres returned to deliver the food packs and
as he was leaving, a mother approached
him and said “Sana pagkalooban kayo ng
Diyos ng mahabang buhay, para marami
pa ang inyong matutulungan.” (May God
grant you a long life, so you can help many
more people.) This began Ateneo’s mission
to feed the hungry.
Ateneo first partnered with Jollibee’s busog,
lusog, talino (food, health, talent) – feeding
40 children each in selected public schools.
Then in 2010 the principal of Bagong Silan-
gan Elementary School asked for 400 meals
for the poorest children in her school. From
there the program scaled up to feeding
4,000 children in four elementary schools.
Ateneo has challenged itself to the mission
of building the nation. Building the nation
comes not from a big dramatic idea. Real
solutions begin from the ground, in small
steps, repeated a hundred or a thousand
times. 20,000 children are now fed every
day. This feat could have not been accom-
plished without the help of staff and funders.
Now, more than ever, the Blueplate feeding
program is in a position to grow. This guide-
book is filled with recommendations on how
to most effectively scale and improve the
program. We hope that readers will find the
recommendations insightful and applicable.
INTRODUCTION 02
INTRODUCTION
ATENEO AND ITS MISSION TO
INCREASE STUDENT ACHEIVEMENT

6. VOLUNTEERS 03
VOLUNTEERS
ACED feeding programs rely fun-
damentally on the daily support
of kitchen volunteers to provide
nutritious, cost-effective meals to
children that need it most. Sites
are managed by a feeding pro-
gram coordinator from ACED
and maintain a few hired help to
assist in management, data col-
lection, and delivery. The kitchen
volunteers are responsible for the
remaining necessary work: prepa-
ration, cooking, packaging, and
cleanup. Volunteers arrive early
in the morning to begin cooking
and stay through mid afternoon to
clean up and prepare for the next
day. The importance of volunteers
is not solely based on the resource
limitations of the program, but also
in cultivating a spirit of volunteer-
ism in ACED partner communities.
The sense of ownership that comes
from this experience is vital to
current program success and the
eventual goal of community and
government sustained programs.

7. “I help with the feeding program because it really benefits the students. When students
are always full and their food is healthy, their studies/schooling is fantastic. They’re
even able to answer the questions that their teachers ask them. That’s why we, or at
least in my case, help with the feeding program. We cook so that the kids can eat.”
- Mercedes Municipality Parent Volunteer
INCREASING PARENT VOLUNTEERS 04
INCREASING PARENT VOLUNTEERS
There has been much literature on what populations are most attracted to vol-
unteering, how to identify them, and how to recruit these populations. This often
points to affluent, married women who do not hold jobs as those who volunteer
the most. Since ACED largely looks at tapping into the population of working-class
parents for volunteering, the research shows that it may be more dificult for ACED
to obtain the volunteer commitment it is seeking. When isolating the populations
for who are actually being asked to volunteer, however, it becomes clear that the
largest barrier to volunteering at any given place is simply being asked or invited.1
This means that ACED must improve on the initial contact before all else. From
parent volunteers in Mercedes, we heard that one of the largest barriers to parent
involvement is the lack of program knowledge. As it stands, ACED’s primary con-
tact with all parents is through individual school assemblies held at the beginning
of each year. They are usually held during school hours or on Saturdays. In order to
make sure ACED is maximizing that introductory recruitment, site managers and
staff should consider holding multiple assemblies at each school, placing the as-
semblies at different times of the day and week. These assemblies should be held
at the beginning of the school year, as has been done in the past, as well as at
the midyear point. This initial input from the ACED staff would be challenging but
the potential yield for more volunteers is necessary to maintain current levels of
functioning, or to grow the program. It is imperative that volunteer expectations be
made at these assemblies.
1 Musick, Marc A., and John Wilson. Volunteers a Social Profile. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 2008. 290.
Print.

8. Since this is our main, and often only, contact with parents, setting the volunteer
schedules and coordinating between the multiple meetings is important. When con-
ducting these assemblies, framing the program and request for volunteers should be
done in a way that is most appealing to the parents. Often, parents are defensive
when their children are chosen for the program. The implication that their children
are not healthy and that is it a result of their ability to provide can be difficult, and it
is one of the largest reasons cited for not enrolling in the program. This time should
be used to inform parents of the virtues of the program. Rather than telling a parent
they are lucky, it is best to let the parents come to this conclusion on their own. Hav-
ing the process be revelatory creates a sense of ownership around the program itself.
This could be valuable for creating dedicated volunteers presently or when ACED
reaches its ultimate goal of community-maintained feeding programs.
The majority of the parent volunteers that we work with are women. Women, more
so than men, cite empathy and a desire to nurture as reasons for volunteering.1
While it can be beneficial to appeal to these desires at a low level, the implication
should never become that those who do not or cannot volunteer are not being
properly nurturing, as this could be off-putting to potential volunteers.
Current or previous volunteers should always be involved in the recruitment process
as much as is possible. People are more likely to volunteer when they have been
asked by someone that is socially closer to themselves or by current volunteers.2 By
involving current volunteers in the recruitment process of new volunteers, there will
be more community ownership over the entire process as well as an increased likeli-
hood of new volunteers.
By tapping into social infrastructures that already exist, ACED can maximize their ef-
fects. One such example would be using the nationwide 4Ps Program, a conditional
cash transfer program that gives money to families who meet certain social require
ments such as school attendance or prenatal care.
2 Musick, Marc A., and John Wilson. Volunteers a Social Profile. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 2008. 176. Print.
3 Musick, Marc A., and John Wilson. Volunteers a Social Profile. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 2008. 296. Print.
2
INCREASING PARENT VOLUNTEERS 05
3

9. While making volunteer requirements as a part of the conditional cash transfer
could be a potential path to pursue through mayoral offices, we would not advise
this. Aside from the massive input that would be required from ACED staff, we think
the use of a cash incentive would destroy the spirit of volunteerism that ACED has
worked so hard to cultivate. The 4Ps program aims to aid the Philippines in its com-
mitment to the Millennium Development Goals, including addressing hunger and
education insufficiencies. By making the connection between this program and the
ACED’s feeding programs, the message can become stronger without losing its in-
tegrity.
One of our related goals for ACED, discussed in an upcoming section, is to enhance
relations with teachers not directly involved in the feeding programs. By increasing
the dedication of these potential stakeholders, we hope to look to them for more
concrete support of the program through contact with potential parent volunteers.
For example, when a student has showed class improvement after being involved
in the feeding program, we would encourage the teacher to reach out to parents
in person, if possible, or via letter. We recognize that this might not be a reason-
able expectation right now, but we hope it will become so with the improvement
of program relations with the teachers. The more avenues that parents hear of the
program from, especially outside of those people who are directly linked to the pro-
gram, the more likely they are to believe in its benefits. Believing in the effectiveness
of a program is one of the most important determinants of whether someone will
volunteer.
Another way to reinforce volunteering expectations is a behavioral contract. These
contracts are not legally binding in any way but do clearly set forth expectations to
which a volunteer explicitly agrees. They can be short and negotiable so as to not
be intimidating. In studies, both long-term and short-term volunteers showed almost
double the levels of volunteering when they signed behavioral contracts in compar-
ison to the control groups. In the same study, there was very little negative feedback
from either volunteers or the volunteer coordinators.1
4 Fruehling, James Kent. “Volunteer Recruitment and Commitment Enhancement.” Diss. U of Nebraska,
1983. Print.
INCREASING PARENT VOLUNTEERS 06
4

10. Georgetown Interns with the WIN Mother’s Club of Valenzuela City
When referring to “outside volunteers,” we are meaning those who are not oth-
erwise linked to the program as a relative of a beneficiary. Strategic outreach is
the most effective way to increase the outside volunteer base, and that means
tapping into existing volunteer groups and infrastructures. It has been shown that
previous instances of volunteering are the most positive indicator as to whether or
not someone is going to volunteer.1
Established groups that receive institutional support are obviously ideal. The WIN
Mother’s Club of Valenzuela City is a prime example of this and how they are able
to provide support to the Valenzuela feeding program. Looking for organizations
that share similar values, volunteerism or educational development, is beneficial.
Still, having expectations of outside groups such as this could be detrimental
because they are so rare. It is best to keep reasonable expectations of outside
groups. They are not primary stakeholders in the success of the program, and thus
it is understandable that ACED staff would spend less time trying to directly reach
out to unaffiliated groups.
5 Musick, Marc A., and John Wilson. Volunteers a Social Profile. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 2008. 298.
Print.
5
INCREASING OUTSIDE VOLUNTEERS 07
INCREASING OUTSIDE VOLUNTEERS

11. The aim of reaching outside volunteers can benefit from an increased online pres-
ence and generally better marketing by ACED. If it is clearly understood how and
where one can volunteer, it would greatly increase the chance that individuals
would reach out to ACED with the desire to volunteer.
Short-term outside volunteer groups are more likely to be found than well-estab-
lished groups such as the WIN Mother’s. It makes sense for ACED staff to focus rel-
atively less time and resources on attracting these groups than parent volunteers
because they are not immediate stakeholders in the program and would require
a lot of training and supervision relative to how long they would be spending with
the program. These short-term volunteers can provide their own benefits. Though
they provide fewer outcomes in the traditional sense, as a volunteer, they have the
potential to spread the word of ACED feeding programs. Having seen the work that
is being done on the sites, they are best equipped to provide potential donors and
supporters with information and advocate for ACED’s programs and missions.
INCREASING OUTSIDE VOLUNTEERS 08

12. VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT
VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT 09
One of the largest barriers to productivity and volunteer retention is when volun-
teers have a bad experience with the program. As program facilitators, prosocial
management is how ACED staff deals with these daily problems. Creating a proso-
cial environment involves getting individuals in the group to focus on their own ac-
tions in relation to how it affects the whole group.
One problematic dynamic that came up often in interviews was the tension be-
tween old and new volunteers. It is important to make new volunteers feel included
while not making volunteer veterans seem like their thoughts or concerns are not
being recognized. While it is important to always make individuals feel supported
in their volunteer work, we suggest limiting the dependency on interpersonal rela-
tionships as the main mode of management because it is unsustainable. If any per-
son is to leave the program or site, be it volunteers or coordinators then the whole
management, and subsequently the functionality of the site, could be jeopardized.
Instead, standardized systems of scheduling, attendance tracking, addressing vol-
unteer concerns, and volunteer experience follow-up should be established across
all sites.
Site managers should subtly and consistently be reminding their volunteers of
ACED’s missions. Volunteers have stated that on some days at site they have breaks
of time while food cooks and there is less to be done. Times such as this should be
used to facilitate full group discussions on the goals and reasons behind the feed-
ing program. This can serve to remind all volunteers why they are there rather than
getting caught up in the daily politics of the kitchen.

13. VOLUNTEER INCENTIVES
VOLUNTEER INCENTIVES 10
Not having incentives put in place for volunteers is one of the biggest problems
ACED has faced. It is a problem, that if solved, could greatly improve ACED’s vol-
unteer operations. The following incentives serve as potential solutions for volunteer
shortages and lack of volunteer retention.
Food Handler’s Permit
This has already been tested at some sites as an incentive. A food handler’s permit
could be awarded to volunteers for their food handling service after a full year of
volunteering. A food handler’s permit will allow volunteers to open up their own
small food business or to sell their own food locally - potentially providing an extra
source of income.
Job Training
Feeding kitchen volunteers are recieving training by learning how to cook the
meals for the feeding program. They can use those skills to cook the same type
of meals for their children at home or to sell. Further job training incentives are job
training sessions. Short job training sessions would allow volunteers to learn skills on
the following:
• Baking
• Making jewelry
• Manicures and pedicures
• Financial literacy
• Entrepreneurship
The jewelry, manicures, and financial literarcy trainings have been attempted by
ACED before, but with mediocre success. The main problems were that volunteers
were too busy to attend, or they did not have the funds available to buy the sup-
plies necessary to start up their small businesses with the skills they have learned.
Extra funds may need to given by LGU’s to help volunteers jump start their own
businesses.

14. Employment Opportunities
It is well documented by ACED that a large percent of the parent volunteers are
unemployed. It would be fantastic if ACED could implement an incentive system
that could potentially change their lives.
LGU’s could potentially provide employment opportunties for the kitchen volun-
teers. Since volunteers have recieved their training in the feeding kitchens, local
governments can create agreements with local business that may need to hire
kitchen staff.
This could also be presented as a point system. For example:
• One year of volunteering: a job opportunity with a lower paying employer
• Two years of volunteering: a job opportunity with a mid-end employer (pays
more than the first)
• Three years of volunteering: a job opportunity with the highest paying employer
*All of the opportunites are based upon conditions, such as the volunteer arriving on
the days she/he schedules to volunteer every week
Creating a point system or a long-term incentive will help maintain volunteer re-
tention so sites are not struggling to look for new volunteers after the end of each
school year. Providing an employment incentive would also boost the number of
kitchen volunteers and eliminate some of the problems Blueplate has faced with
volunteering consistency.
VOLUNTEER INCENTIVES 11

15. POSSIBLE NEW STRATEGY
POSSIBLE NEW STRATEGY 12
The Long-term Impact of Workshops for Parents
The objective of the Blueplate program is to improve the health and academic
abilities of students by providing them with daily, nutritious meals. In order to cre-
ate a longer impact on the health of students, it is beneficial to involve the par-
ents. Although it is acknowledged that the parents of student beneficiaries may
not have the funds available to cook daily nutritious meals, it is still important that
they attend workshops that teach about health and nutrition.
These workshops are designed to get parents acquainted with nutrition and the
importance of providng children with the healthiest upbringing possible.
The workshops are split up into four short, half-an-hour sessions:
1. Introduction to unhealthy and healthy food and the correct portions of each
food group to be consumed by children
2. Lesson on proteins, carbs, minerals (vitamins)
3. Healthy food recipe book giveaway and lesson that teaches some of the sug-
gesed healthy meals for children (the Blueplate recipes)
4. Mental health awareness and inspiring confidence and motivation in children
(how to help children set academic goals for the future)
This idea was given by Valerie’s cousin who helps run Peru’s national feeding
program. She suggested that the parent workshops help more in the long run
because student’s healths become easier to maintain - for example, student’s
healths no longer decline over the summer. Attending the sessions are mandatory
for the parents because it affects the students grade. The education department
reached out to the principals of all the schools to make parent participation in the
workshops count as a grade for each student - with the exception of extenuating
circumstances. Out of the four sessions, parents are required to attend two.

16. LGU RELATIONS
LGU RELATIONS 13
The Filipino governemnt has set aside P1.37 billion for feeding programs in the last
year. This money is downloaded to the Dep Ed and DSWD. Over the last year, both
the Dep Ed and DSWD have failed to fully use all the funds alloted for feeding pro-
grams. This may have occured due to the difficulties both agencies faced when
attempting to head start feeding programs. ACED serves as an avenue that helps
agencies successfully run feeding programs.
In order to encourage the DSWD and Dep Ed to hand over the funds to LGU’s, they
need to trust the LGU. Trust can be garnered when the DSWD or Dep Ed know that
an LGU’s feeding program has a good chance of succeeding and is a serious proj-
ect of the LGU. ACED must create materials that can be presented to LGU partners
that will showcase, with evidence, the effectiveness of the Blueplate feeding tech-
nology. ACED must also increase the exposure of the feeding program so more LGU’s
can seek to use and implement the Blueplate technology.

17. TRUST WITH POTENTIAL PARTNERS
TRUST WITH POTENTIAL PARTNERS 14
ESTABLISHED CITY/MUNICIPALITY
PARTNERSHIP
- Must gain trust from the Dep Ed or
DSWD to download funds
NO PARTNERSHIP ESTABLISHED
-Must gain trust from the city or munici-
pality in order to partner
- In both cases the success of ACED must be shown
- Showing cities/municipalities the success of prior feeding program partner
ships with ACED will help assure them that Blueplate will be a success in their
own area
- Actual data of success in previous cities/municipalities must be presented
-Creation of new, attractive, condensed information packets for potential partners
who express interest
-The Blueplate Situational analysis is too long and outdated to be
used as an intitial information packet for potential partners
-With better presentation of informational material, the Dep Ed or
DSWD will be more likely to download the funds to LGU’s and/or the LGU
will desire to partner with Blueplate
- potential partners are less likely to either lose interest, or feel bombarded by
too much information they canot understand off the bat (ex. current struc
ture of Blueplate Situational Analysis)

18. MARKETING 15
MARKETING
As mayor of the Mercedes Municipality, Alex Pajarillo faced many challenges. One
of the biggest challenges came when he attended a conference for the comple-
tion of the United Nation’s Millenium Goals for his area. At the conference he was
made aware that Mercedes had the highest rate of malnutrition for its citizens in
the entire province. Mayor Pajarillo decided to take initiative and look for methods
to combat malnutrition in Mercedes. Although he worked towards implementing
a breakfast feeding program for babies and small children, he was perplexed on
what he could do to feed schoolchildren. He stumbled upon news of a successful
feeding program in Valenzuela City, the sister city to Mercedes. Mayor Pajarillo dis-
covered that is was based off a feeding program technology called the Blueplate
Feeding Program of Ateneo de Manila University’s Center for Educational Develop-
ment (ACED). Discovering the technology suddenly made Mayor Pajarillo’s mission
less complicated, as he discovered that he could contact ACED to try to get the
feeding program in his municipality.
Although Mayor Pajarillo was able to discover the feeding program through word
of mouth, it would have been more ideal if he could have discovered the program
through better marketing strategies by ACED. Thus, if ACED improves its marketing,
cities and municipalities whom are looking for feeding programs would be able to
team up with ACED more quickly and efficiently. ACED can increase its marketing
by amping up the way it handles its public relations. All strategies are outlined in the
‘Public Relations’ chapter at the end of this manual.
“Mentioning the program is connected with Ateneo (not just ACED)
is the best thing we can do for our office.”
-Misael Santos, General Manager of ACED

19. POSSIBLE NEW STRATEGY
POSSIBLE NEW STRATEGY 16
Mayor Pajarillo was inspired to adopt the Blueplate program because he was presented
with shocking statistics of malnutrition in his municipality. A possible new strategy is to pro-
vide cities/municipalities with data and graphics of their malnutrition and education stats +
the effects a feeding program could potentially have on their city/municipality*
(*The Beeck Future(s) Fellows could handle this task. They will research statistics of potential partner cities.
Once the reports are completed they are handed to ACED, who will then present them to the LGU.)

20. DATA COLLECTION 17
DATA COLLECTION
Data collection is how ACED ensures the validity of Blueplate to current stake-
holders, potential stakeholders, or anyone looking to learn from the ACED feeding
programs. The importance of accuracy and a clear linkage between the feeding
programs and educational outcomes cannot be stressed enough. For ACED staff,
accurate and relevant data collection is the barometer for whether or not a pro-
gram should be continued, altered, or terminated. Integrity in data collection is in-
creasingly important as a program is scaled and institutionalized because a failure
to do so could result in the waste of valuable resources in an already precarious
situation.

21. ACCURACY
ACCURACY 18
LINK TO ACADEMIC DATA
Being able to ensure the accuracy of data collection is necessary for maintaining
support from current stakeholders as well as attracting new volunteers and funders.
Spot checking random samples for accuracy is one of the best ways to ensure this.
It is especially important to double check when there are doubts on the accuracy
of data. Before any data is taken, site coordinators should ensure that equipment
is properly functioning and calibrated. This requirement should be listed as the first
step on any data collection forms. Lastly on accuracy, all forms should be stan-
dardized across sites with all initial and final data collection being done only by
ACED staff members. This includes all site coordinators and any other ACED em-
ployees on site. Such an important process should be left in the hands of those who
are trained to do it rather than varying from classroom to classroom. Again, this
initial and final input from ACED is very important, but the importance of accurate
data cannot be stressed enough. Without it, everything from beneficiary selection
to final results are at risk of being incorrect.
When looking at research that has been conducted through other feeding pro-
grams, school-based lunch programs have not been found to affect any short-term
test scores. In the long term, it is difficult to prove the direct result of the feeding
program since none of these children are existing in a vacuum. The only successful
method that’s been seen for obtaining qualitative data for the links between health
and academics is taking hemoglobin tests from each student. Hemoglobin tests will
verify the hemoglobin levels in each student. Anemia occurs when the hemoglobin
levels are too low (which has a high chance of occuring in malnoursished children
due to vitamon deficiencies), Anemia couses fatigue and difficulty concentrating,
which can explain difficulties in the classroom. Anemia is treated by increasing nutri-
tional health and if possible, by providing supplementary vitamins.

22. LINK TO ACADEMIC DATA 19
Hemoglobin tests are once again taken from the students at the end of the school
year to see if their levels have improved and they no longer have anemia. Without
anemia, their performance in the classroom will improve. Thus, it is possible to ob-
tain qualitative data that link health and academics results.
Still, based on results we’ve seen from Valenzuela, children enrolled in the feeding
program often show increased participation and are often at the top of their class.
From interviews we’ve had with ACED staff and educational professionals, there is
large mistrust of state-administered exams, so it’s best to work with the information
that is available to ACED directly, such as grades and teacher testimonies. It is im-
portant to frame any information being presented for a specific audience. When
speaking to an audience with less formal education, qualitative stories are more
impactful, whereas quantitative information is necessary when speaking to LGUs
or potential donors.

23. SCHOOL/TEACHER RELATIONS 20
SCHOOL/TEACHER RELATIONS
The last thing the Blueplate program wants to be seen as is a burden. This, unfortu-
nately, may be the opinion of the program to some teachers. It is not because the
program is not helping their schools, but because they may see it as an added load
to their jobs. Some teachers do not warm up to the program because they do not
feel a connection to it, which is something ACED needs to work towards improving.
Some teachers may feel that the program is more of a hassle than a solution be-
cause they have not seen results in the form of concrete data. They may only see it
as tasks that add to their loads - something that asks them to take extra time to write
down student measurements or track students during the lunch time.
Overall, teachers need to be more informed about the program to feel more con-
nected to it. The initial informational presentations are not enough, and furthermore,
informational presentations should include all educators of the school (including
non-feeding coordinators) so entire schools are aware of the program and the im-
pacts it will have on the children of the school. This could potentially help teachers
become passionate about the mission of the the feeding program and about help-
ing their students with something more than academics - health. Teachers rarely
volunteer for the program - they are usually selected by the principal and forced
into volunteering. Teachers may enjoy an incentive to further support the program.
A credit system that allows them time compensation for the extra hours of work as a
feeding coordinator could be the solution. In order to prevent schools backing out
of the program mid year or after one year, ACED can introduce school agreements.
At the beginning of the school year, school agreements are created and signed
after ACED and school staffs discuss the expectations of the year-long feeding pro-
gram.

24. SCHOOL AGREEMENTS
SCHOOL AGREEMENTS 21
During our time as interns for ACED, we had the opportunity to sit in at a meet-
ing held in Doña Juana Elementary School in Quezon City. It was an emergency
meeting between the school executive staff (including the principal) and ACED
executive members, including the site manager. The purpose for the meeting was
to discuss the urgent need for parent volunteers at Doña Juana. At the time, Doña
Juana was in need of at least 15 more volunteers but was weeks shy of the start of
the school year. During conversation, the principal made the following statement:
“Look, we’ve ran the program here for a couple years. Isn’t it time we give someone
else this opportunity?”
It does not mean it is time to quit when situations become difficult. ACED is already
trying to solve the everyday problems that feeding sites face, and having feeding
sites threaten to potentially leave the program when problems arise is not benefi-
cial.
Something that could potentially prevent schools from pulling out of the program
mid-year, or after a couple of years, are school agreements.
School agreements would entail the following:
• Members of the ACED executive staff + site managers discussing the expecta-
tions for the following year with members of the executive staff of the school
• The executive staff of the school also discussing their own expectations
• All those expectations are written down on what is called a school agreement
• The school agreement decided upon by the school and ACED will serve as a
reminder of the goals and expectations of the feeding program every year
School agreements create a clear understanding between the school and ACED.
With both entities cooperating together, there is greater reliability in the long-term
health improvements of the student beneficiaries.

25. IMPROVED PRESENTATIONS
IMPROVED PRESENTATIONS 22
Feeding coordinators recieve training at the beginning of the year in an assembly at every
feeding site. The assemblies manage to achieve its main goal - to train. But something they
fail to do is inspire. A problem ACED has faced is not being able to incite more helpfulness
from its feeding coordinators. This problem could be solved by FUELing CONNECTION.
Fuel Connection is a method that improves feeding coordinator presentations using the fol-
lowing strategies:
• Having an animated speaker who is passionate about the mission of the program in order
to engage viewers
• Illustrate the history of Blueplate to help teachers understand the mission of the feeding
program
• Show statistics (hard data) of the impact the feeding program has had on children within
that feeding site and/or different feeding sites
- Showing statistics will help educators value the impact the program will
have on their own students
• Include personal anecdotes, short videos, and personal testimonies to increase the emo-
tional appeal of the presenation
• Allow teachers to ask a lot of questions and help them feel they are a part of the program
• Make the event interactive and cheerful - provide light snacks and beverages if possible
The better the presentation and the more passionate the speaker, the higher the chances
teachers will feel connected to the program.
Another suggestion is engaging all school teachers in the presentation, not just the feeding
coordinators. This way, the entire school will be aware of the feeding program and non-feed-
ing coordinator teachers can become encouraging of the program and possibly volunteer
in the future. Once the presentation portion is over, all viewers may leave except for the
feeding coordinators, whom will proceed to view the training portion. Apart from having one
initial assembly, there should be a mid-year check-in where teachers hear about the prog-
ress of the program and the next steps necessary to successfully complete the school year.

26. CREDIT SYSTEM
CREDIT SYSTEM 23
Implementing a credit system is a new idea that may propel feeding coordinators
to become more engaged in the feeding program. With its implementation, it can
also attract more teacher volunteers.
Feeding coordinators are asked to give their extra time to track their students as
they recieve their lunch, as well as their health and academic progress throughout
the duration of the feeding program. Teachers are some of the busiest people in
the work field, constantly creating lesson plans, grading and teaching. Therefore,
feeding coordinators should recieve some sort of compensation for their time spent
in the program. A credit system would allow feeding coordinators more flexibility
with their time. The hours they spend volunteering for the feeding program will be
compensated by a decrease in required teaching hours or an increase in vacation
time. This way, teachers do not lose out on their valuable time.
A credit system has to be approved by the Dep Ed of the specific city. Afterwards, it
can be implemented by the principals of each school.

27. PUBLIC RELATIONS 24
PUBLIC RELATIONS
In the increasingly interconnected world we live in today, the power of exposure
cannot be undermined. The Philippines is one of the most tech savvy places in the
world, where most of the inhabitants of Metro Manila have access to cell phones
and/or internet.
There is currently not enough exposure of the Blueplate program. There is an ACED
page on the Ateneo website where the Blueplate program is barley covered. If
“ateneo blue plate feeding program” is googled all that is found are some press
articles from a couple years back, but no links to donate, or no information on how
to get involved or attain the Blueplate Situational Analysis. Two of the biggest prob-
lems ACED faces are volunteer recuitment and the need for more funding. Both of
these problems can be solved by better marketing.
The first steps to improving ACED’s marketing strategies are to revamp the Face-
book page, increase LGU marketing responsibilities, create an ACED website ded-
icated to Blueplate, and update as well as reconstruct the Blueplate Situational
Analysis.
In order to meet the marketing goals, the marketing assignments must be handled
by someone in the ACED office. It is highly recommended that ACED hire a market-
ing/fundraising/Blueplate development point person that can handle all these tasks.
Upon reflection, all Georgetown interns agreed that this would drastically improve
ACED’s functioning and accomplish miles for Blueplate in the long run. If ACED does
not desire to hire an entirely new employee, it can appoint a public relations point
person from the office. But since public relations involves many tasks, it must be
ensured that the point person does not already have too many responsibilites within
the office, such as being a site manager. Doing so may leave someone completely
overworked, with public relations not getting the attention it urgently needs. Improv-
ing public relations truly has the potential to solve many of the problems Blueplate
has been facing.

28. FACEBOOK
FACEBOOK/LGU MARKERTING 25
LGU MARKETING
Facebook exists as the easiest and least expensive avenue to obtain mass expo-
sure. It allows access to a billion users from around the globe and requires minimal
effort. Therefore, ACED needs to do its best to properly utilize its Facebook page.
The URL ACED currently uses is https://www.facebook.com/AteneoACED. All infor-
mation regarding ACED events, as well as the Blueplate program, should be post-
ed soley on the ACED Facebook page. Creating seperate pages will confuse users.
It is recommended that since Blueplate is the main function of ACED, the ACED
Facebook page should focus almost entirely on promoting Blueplate with the ex-
ception of the Run to Feed event.
The ACED Facebook page needs to look revamped, modern, uniform, and attrac-
tive. Alike programs that are consistently trying to gain funding or volunteers, ACED
should be updating the page 2-3 times a week with personal stories and pictures.
The following are Facebook pages that have successfully carried out the recom-
mendations for the ACED Facebook page:
• https://www.facebook.com/unicef
• https://www.facebook.com/unicefphilippines
• https://www.facebook.com/ONE
This has already been discussed in the Marketing section under LGU Relations. Mu-
nicipalities and city governments spreading the word about their involvement with
ACED’s Blueplate is one of the best forms of promotion. Other LGU’s can look to oth-
er cities and municipalities using Blueplate as assurance that the Blueplate technol-
ogy is effective and well-organized. LGU Marketing is one of the best, if not the best,
avenues for creating partnerships with more LGU’s.

29. POSSIBLE NEW STRATEGY
POSSIBLE NEW STRATEGY 26
The Facebook page must be used as
effectively as possible. Use it specifically
to fundraise and gain more volunteers.
These Facebook posts appeal emotion-
ally to followers as they display photo-
graphs with quotes or storylines. Some
even ask for donations or have donation
links attached to the post. The fonts and
pictures used all appear modern, attrac-
tive, and uniform.
Sources: http://www.facebook/unicef, http://www.facebook/unicefphilippines

30. WEBSITE
WEBSITE 27
A website for ACED is one of the biggest potential assets to Blueplate. Through it,
people will be able to learn about the history and mission of the Blueplate program.
The main objectives of the website are fundraising and growing an audience. By
providing an easily accesible link to donate on the front page of the website, Blue-
plate will recieve more money from local and international donors. A website could
also help ACED become noticed by local and international volunteer groups. Those
volunteer groups could come and serve as feeding kitchen volunteers anywhere
from a week to multiple months.
The following is the front webpage for Feed the Philippines - it successfully carries
out the recommendations for the ACED website:
Source: http://www.ftcphils.org/
The front webpage includes a link to donate, a link to the Facebook page, person-
al stories, and a link to discover more about the program.

31. BLUEPLATE SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS
BLUEPLATE SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS 28
The Blueplate Situational Analysis is a very important document to ACED because
it is usually what is given to potential partners when they ask for more information.
Therefore, the Situational Analysis should be clean, to the point, and easy to read.
The last edition of it was released in October 2011. Upon re-reading it, it became
apparent that it is out-of-date and needs updated facts and information. The new
Situational Analysis will need to be revamped, renewed, and newly condensed.
The following are some of the most important tips for the new Situational Analysis:
• Omit some - if not all - of the survey examples
- Survey examples may be given to those who ask or to those who are serious-
ly considering adopting the program
• Must have a new, modern, eye-catching design similar to the Scaling Solutions
manual
- Preferably created on InDesign
• Update the content, shorten the introductory information, and include more
data on succesful outcomes
We would suggest presenting the Communications interns’ condensed information
booklet to those who are interested in knowing more about the program. The Situ-
ational Analysis should be for whomever is seriously considering implementing the
Blueplate program.

32. CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION 29
The first part of our internship project was to review prior research conducted on
feeding programs and identify information that could potentially improve Blue-
plate’s function. We soon found that the context of Blueplate is so unique, culturally,
and functionally, that very little outside information could be deemed helpful for its
improvement. For example, most feeding programs around the world run on paid
kitchen help. Since ACED cannot offer monetary payment, most of the research on
kitchen help could not help us find incentive ideas for Blueplate volunteers. There-
fore, stakeholders became our most valuable source of information for this project.
Through interviews and site visits we were able to not only further discover the prob-
lems that needed addressing, but we were also able to find inventive and useful
ways to solve them. The suggestions found in this manual are carefully thought-out
deductions based off prior research, feedback from volunteers, and insight from
those who have been heavily involved in the formation of the feeding program. We
hope these suggestions willl be found useful and that through their implementations,
Blueplate can reach its full potential.
R. Valerie Sanchez
Laura Bowers

33. REFERENCE &
RELATED RESOURCES
REFERENCE & RELATED RESOURCES 30
Musick, Marc A., and John Wilson. Volunteers a Social Profile. Bloomington: Indiana
UP, 2008. Print.
Fruehling, James Kent. “Volunteer Recruitment and Commitment Enhancement.”
Diss. U of Nebraska, 1983. Print.