Milk companies are stepping up to raise awareness about the importance of dairy consumption for a balanced and healthy diet during a forum hosted by Alaska Milk Corp. (AMC) in celebration of World Milk Day Thursday.
“We, as milk brands, have a pivotal role to play. By educating consumers and ensuring access to high-quality yet affordable dairy products, we can significantly contribute to building healthier communities,” said AMC marketing director Star Estacio
The forum, titled “Celebrating the Goodness of Dairy,” brought together government officials and industry experts.
The participants agreed on the necessity of a collaborative approach to improve both milk consumption and the development of the domestic dairy industry.
“Milk is white gold. Dairy creates an impact from end-to-end in any community, whether you are in the farms raising cows or at home preparing a nutritious meal,” said AMC managing director Tarang Gupta.
Local milk production reached 28.86 million liters in 2023, said National Dairy Administration (NDA) officer-in-charge Gavino Alfredo Benitez. Othel V. Campos
“This accounted for about 0.8 percent of the country’s total milk consumption, not so much by global standards, nevertheless, this is still an increase for us. Increasing local milk production is seen as a strategy to promote food security, help solve malnutrition, and increase the income of farmers in the dairy sector,” he said.
He noted the possibility that AMC may source local dairy to supplement its dairy processing requirement.
The Philippines relies on imports for majority of its milk consumption.
Meanwhile, the Department of Education (DepEd) highlighted scientific evidence demonstrating that milk consumption could improve cognitive abilities and academic performance among students.
The government, along with the private sector, intends to address undernutrition, a serious problem among Filipino children aged 5 to 10.
Government data showed there are about 2.7 million children who are stunted for their age with potential impairment on their cognitive skills and physical development.