The National Dairy Authority (NDA) on Thursday said it plans to expand its milk production programs in Romblon following a meeting with 14 out of 17 local chief executives in the province for the potential expansion of the government’s dairy development program.
In a statement, NDA Administrator Marcus Antonius Andaya said the program will promote local livelihood and nutrition in the province.
“Tatlo ang makikinabang sa programang ito — ang mga bata, mga nanay, at ang mga magsasaka (The kids, mothers, and the farmers will benefit from this program),” he said.
Besides better access to fresh and sustainable milk supply in the province, Andaya said locally produced milk will be used to support ongoing government feeding programs, such as that of the Department of Education (DepEd), which doubled its milk feeding program beneficiaries to 4.6 million learners nationwide for 2026.
“We need to boost local production because demand for fresh milk is increasing. Government partners such as the DepEd and other institutions are now looking to source local milk, while local chief executives also want milk for their own feeding programs,” he said.
Under the proposed expansion, the NDA will closely coordinate with local government units (LGUs) to determine suitable areas for the dairy development program, provide technical support, distribute planting starter kits, and implement capacity-building activities for dairy farmers.
“Instead of waiting for LGUs to express interest in our programs, we go to them and present the opportunities in the dairy. This is part of our proactive approach to expansion,” Andaya said.
During the meeting on Wednesday, he said some local officials expressed interest in utilizing idle lands for possible dairy production and development.
The expansion is also expected to boost the local dairy value chain – from production, collection, up to distribution.
In 2025, the NDA reported a record-high local milk production at about 43.4 million liters.
This raises the country’s milk sufficiency to 2.22 percent, higher than 1 percent for the past 30 years. (PNA)
