The Department of Education (DepEd) wants canteens in public schools to be healthy both in the food

they offer and in their finances.

The elimination of financial disputes between principals and teachers over canteen operations is one of
the goals of a 19-page order issued by the DepEd. To give teachers an additional source of income, the
department handed over the operation of canteens in public schools to teacher cooperatives in 1996.

Another goal of the order is to "eliminate malnutrition, which affects the academic performance" of stu-
dents.

The order authorizes principals to audit the financial report of a canteen run by a teacher cooperative to
ensure that 20 percent of its profits are remitted to the school to defray the costs of the school’s feeding
program.

To encourage competition and improve the quality of service, the order also allows schools with more
than 500 students to have more than one canteen.

Adunna (2013) discussed that along the line of canteen management is the need for an improvement
system to boost not only sales but also the efficiency of its operations. In addition to providing with nu-
tritious and affordable foods, the canteen should be based on good management practices and the fi-
nancially self-sustaining. Experience shows that, with good management and marketing practices, a can-
teen is a small business. Like any business, it requires good management practices to be efficient and
successful.

Effective canteen management requires that: everyone involved knows it goals and objectives and is fa-
miliar with its policies, canteen staff and committee develop an implementation plan to achieve policy
goals, day-to-day operational procedures are structured and enforced staff are adequately trained and
supervised, staff carry out efficient stock managements, accounting and financial procedures staff are
familiar with and comply with relevant legal requirements regarding food safety, occupational health
and safety standards. School canteen may operate under a variety of management structures, depend-
ing on the individual characteristics and the needs of school.
The DepEd in 2013 emphasized that only nutrients-rich foods such as root crops, noodles, rice and corn
products in native preparations, fruits and vegetables in season, and fortified food products labeled rich
in protein, energy, vitamins and minerals shall be sold in the school canteen. Beverage shall include milk,
shakes, and juices prepared from fruits and vegetables in season. The sales of carbonated drinks, sugar-
based synthetic or artificially flavoured juices, junk foods and any food products that maybe detrimental
to the child’s health

And that do not bear the SangkapPinoy seal and/or did not passed the BFAD approval is prohibited.
Iodized salt shall be used, in controlled quantity, in the preparation of cook foods to ensure that iodine
requirement of the clientele shall met and to eliminate iodine deficiency. The use of monosodium gluta-
mate (vetsin) shall be regulated. A reasonable mark-up price for all merchandise in the canteen shall be
allowed, provided that the selling retail price does not exceed the prevailing prices in the locality. FNRI-
DOST (2013), nutritional guidelines for Filipino revised and organized by the (FNRI-DOST) , an intera-
gency and multi-disciplinary technical working group. Mendoza (2009), sanitation makes an important
role in any food service institution. Standard sanitation practice is important to be able to attain a better
health of the workers and most specially the costumers, because they are the reasons why we estab-
lished food institution

Johannes (2013; 39), discussed that the school canteens should provide cheap, sanitary, nutritious food
such as fresh milk, fresh fruits and fresh drinks boiled root crops, high calorie indigenous recipes and the
like canteen personal handling food in the canteen should be required to undergo training for food han-
dlers, obtain a certificate of good health from the municipal health department and observe hygiene.

Operational practices must be geared to the welfare of the students, teachers and to the school as a
whole.