San Agustin, Romblon — The National Dairy Authority (NDA), led by Administrator Atty. Marcus Antonius T. Andaya, held an exploratory meeting with Honorable Congressman Eleandro Jesus “Budoy” F. Madrona and local chief executives of Romblon to discuss the expansion of the agency’s dairy development programs in the province. Out of the 17 mayors in the Province of Romblon, 14 attended the meeting.
During the meeting, Atty. Andaya presented the NDA’s Dairy Development Program and outlined plans to start local milk production in Romblon. The initiative aims to build a sustainable source of locally produced milk to support government feeding programs and improve access to fresh milk in the province.
Atty. Andaya explained that developing the local dairy industry will help ensure a more reliable supply of milk while creating livelihood opportunities for farmers and improving the nutrition of women and children in Romblon.
“Tatlo ang makikinabang sa programang ito—ang mga bata, mga nanay, at ang mga magsasaka,” he said. The meeting was facilitated by former San Agustin Mayor Dedon Madrona, together with Mr. Romil Angcaco.
Former Mayor Madrona shared the province’s interest in utilizing idle lands for dairy production and corn silage cultivation.
“We want to make productive use of idle lands in Romblon for dairy production and dairy development. We are also interested in corn silage production to create more opportunities for our farmers and ensure year-round feed supply for dairy cattle,” he said.
Congressman Madrona expressed full support for the NDA’s nutrition and dairy initiatives. “If there are opportunities to uplift our children, let’s go for it,” he said.
On February 17, 2026, Former Mayor Madrona and his delegation visited Orchard Valley, an NDA-assisted dairy farm owned by Mr. Johnny O. Que, to benchmark its facilities and explore the possible replication of the model in Romblon.
The proposed expansion is expected to strengthen the local dairy value chain from production to collection and distribution while aligning with the government’s food security and nutrition agenda. Local government leaders signified their interest in partnering with the NDA to pilot dairy initiatives in their respective municipalities.
The NDA will work closely with participating LGUs to identify suitable sites, provide technical assistance, distribute planting starter kits, and roll out capacity-building activities for prospective dairy farmers. The push for expansion is driven by the growing demand for locally produced milk, particularly from the Department of Education’s milk feeding program for 2026, which doubled its beneficiaries to 4.6 million learners.
“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,” said Atty. Andaya.
A PROACTIVE APPROACH FOR DAIRY EXPANSION
The NDA is adopting a proactive model of dairy expansion by directly engaging local chief executives across regions to encourage investments in dairy development. “Instead of waiting for LGUs to express interest in our programs, we go to them and present the opportunities in dairy. This is part of our proactive approach to expansion,” said Atty. Andaya.
In 2025, local milk production reached 43.4 million liters—the highest on record—raising national milk sufficiency to 2.22 percent from around 1 percent over the past three decades.
