Fernando Peña, national director of the National Board of School Aid and Scholarships (Junaeb), ruled out on Monday any cuts to the continuity of the School Feeding Program (PAE). The statement follows a memo from the Ministry of Finance suggesting a review of 15 initiatives from the Ministry of Education, including PAE, for the 2027 Budget. Peña met with representatives from 12 federations of food handlers to address the issue.
Last Friday, the Ministry of Finance sent a memo to all ministries listing programs to review or discontinue for the 2027 Budget. For the Ministry of Education, which oversees Junaeb, it mentioned 15 initiatives, including PAE, drawing criticism from the opposition.
Executive officials had already ruled out ending the program. On Monday, Fernando Peña stressed: “PAE beneficiaries will continue receiving their meals normally, without interruptions.” In the meeting with the federations, he stated: “This program does not risk its continuity,” noting it serves nearly 1.6 million students daily with almost four million rations nationwide.
Peña also used the meeting to discuss improvements in school feeding, aiming for a more efficient and higher-quality service.
