Manila, March 31 -- The Philippines, through the Department of Education (DepEd), has officially joined the Governance Committee of the School Meals Accelerator (SMA), following its participation in the inaugural meeting held in Rome, Italy.

The Philippines joins fellow new members Guatemala and the Kingdom of Lesotho in the milestone initiative.

The SMA is a global support mechanism designed to assist the more than 110 member countries of the School Meals Coalition in accelerating the implementation of their school feeding programs.

Its goal is to expand coverage and ensure that more children receive nutritious and quality meals in schools.

"Our participation in the SMA Governance Committee reflects the strong political commitment of...