MILO, DepEd tie up to lead ‘One Child, One Sport’ campaign

In photo (from L-R) Coach Rio dela Cruz, National MILO Marathon Race Organizer; Ms. Sherilla Bayona, Nestle Philippines Beverages Unit, Business Executive Manager; Mr. Robbie de Vera, MILO Sports Marketing Executive; Atty. Tonisito Umali, Assistant Secretary of the Department of Education for Legal and Legislative Affairs; Mr. Andrew Neri, MILO Sports Marketing Manager.

MANILA, Philippines–Leading beverage brand MILO announced Thursday its partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd) for the “One Child, One Sport” campaign.

“One Child, One Sport” will enable closer collaboration between MILO and DepEd as it consolidates its new and existing sports programs under one umbrella campaign.

Anchored on the thrust to build a nation of champions, the program seeks to empower, mobilize, and inspire both the youth and their educators through sports and proper nutrition.

According to the 2011 Updating of Nutritional Status of Filipino Children conducted by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), with the rise of interactive technology, children are becoming less engaged in physical activities that enable them to lead a well-rounded lifestyle. Concurrently, households have less time to prepare healthy meals that support overall wellness due to work and other factors.

“We are working closely with DepEd to raise awareness about the value of physical education and sports in bringing a wealth of physical and mental benefits and teaching life values that prepare schoolchildren for a successful adulthood,” says Nestle Philippines Beverages business executive manager Sherilla Bayona.

“One Child, One Sport is a program that encourages children to get into an active and healthy lifestyle and eventually lead them to sports,” says Bayona.

Bayona adds that providing access to physical education and various sports disciplines will not only shape the country’s budding athletes, but will also address the right of every Filipino child to learning opportunities for a better future. MILO and DepEd seek to engage 15 million schoolchildren aged 7 and above to become active and healthy champions by 2017.

MILO and DepEd will implement “One Child, One Sport” across ongoing and new sports programs in public schools in the country. One example of how OCOS will leverage existing MILO sports programs is the National MILO Marathon, which will continue to engage DepEd through its short distance race categories and the “Help Give Shoes” Advocacy.

National MILO Marathon marks its 38^th season this year

Throughout the years, the National MILO Marathon has not only catered to professional athletes but also welcomed aspiring runners in the 3-K and 5-K distances where young sprinters have emerged as division winners.

The National MILO Marathon’s legacy lives on as it ushers the 18-leg event with the opening race in Baguio on June 29. The winners of this season’s National Finals will be given a chance to compete in the 2015 Tokyo Marathon. Last year’s victors Eduardo Buenavista and Mary Joy Tabal, will go head to head with the nation’s best to bag the top purse and claim the coveted spots in the esteemed international race event. Part of their prize for winning the 37th NMM in 2013, Buenavista and Tabal recently competed in the Paris Marathon in April 2014. The country’s biggest and most prestigious footrace expects 230,000 runners to participate this year.

The brand will also further the support for young Filipino talents by providing 16,000 underprivileged youth with brand new running shoes this year to reach the 50,000 mark through the “Help Give Shoes” advocacy. “Help Give Shoes” aims make the donation to students in Yolanda-hit cities, particularly Tacloban, Ormoc, and Eastern Samar.

As local running community continues to grow in number, MILO is steadfast in encouraging Filipinos to run not only for victory and the thrilling experience but also to join its noble cause. Interested participants may process their registration, payment, and direct-to-home delivery of race kits online through the official MILO website.

Following the pilot race in Baguio (June 29), the elimination legs will resume in Dagupan (July 6), Tarlac (July 13), Angeles (July 20), Manila (July 27), Naga (August 24), Lucena (August 31), Puerto Princesa (September 7), Lipa (September 14), Iloilo (September 21), Bacolod (September 28), Tagbilaran (October 5), Cebu (October 12), Butuan (October 19), Cagayan De Oro (November 9), General Santos (November 16), and Davao (November 23). The National Finals will be held on December 7 at the SM Mall of Asia grounds in Pasay City.

The 38^th National MILO Marathon is made possible by Timex, the Bayview Park Hotel Manila, ASICS, Lenovo, Manila Bulletin and Gatorade, along with endorsements from the Department of Education, Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee.

For more information on MILO Philippines, log on to the official website (https://www.milo.com.ph) or the MILO Philippines Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/milo.ph). Follow MILO on Twitter (@MiloPH) and Instagram (@MiloPhilippines).

About MILO

The MILO brand is the world’s leading chocolate malt beverage that can be prepared with hot or cold milk or water. Given its popularity it is a “must have” product for food service operators particularly in Asia, Africa and Oceania.

MILO also promotes participation in sports through its Summer Sports Clinics, MILO-B.E.S.T. Center Training Program, MILO Marathon, and MILO Little Olympics. The leading beverage brand believes that these contribute to the holistic development of Filipino champions in sports and in life. 2014 marks MILO’s 50^th year in the country.

About the National MILO Marathon

The National MILO Marathon is an annual marathon event open to amateur and professional runners. From its humble beginnings in 1974 as a single marathon race in Metro Manila attended by 747 participants, the National MILO Marathon has grown to be the biggest, longest, grandest national running event in the country attracting more than hundreds of thousands of runners across the country.

The National MILO Marathon has grown into a globally renowned running event having been certified by the Association of International Marathons (AIMS) and International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), and hosts foreign marathoners from Kenya, Ethiopia, and other countries across the world. The race is organized by RunRio, Inc.

About Nestle Philippines

Over a hundred years after it first started operations in the country, Nestle Philippines, Inc. (NPI) today is a robust and stable organization, proud of its role in bringing the best food and beverage throughout the stages of the Filipino consumers’ lives. The Company employs more than 3,200 men and women nationwide, and is now among the country’s Top 10 Corporations.

Driven by its mission to nurture generations of Filipino families, Nestle today produces and markets products under some of the country’s well known brands such as NESCAFE, NIDO, MILO, NESTEA, MAGGI, BEAR BRAND, NESTLE and PURINA, among others. Its product range has expanded to include coffee, milk, beverages, non-dairy creamer, food, infant nutrition, ice cream and chilled dairy, breakfast cereals, confectionery and pet care.