140K Kids Receives Free Food Supply from DSWD-7

More than 140,000 children in Central Visayas aged 2-5 years old have benefited from the Supplementary Feeding Program (SFP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Majority of the children-beneficiaries of the SFP are from Cebu with 78,880, Negros Oriental with 34,461, Bohol with 32,582 and Siquijor with 2,423.

SFP is the provision of food in addition to the regular meals provided at home. It targets children as part of the DSWD’s contribution to the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) program of the government.

“The food supplementation will be in the form of hot meals to be served during snack/meal time to children five (5) days a week for 120 days. The feeding program will be managed by parents based on a prepared meal cycle using available indigenous food supplies. Children beneficiaries will be weighed at the start of the feeding and 60 days thereafter and after the completion of 120 feeding days to determine improvement and sustenance in their nutritional status,” explained Melinda Canares, SFP focal person of DSWD Field Office VII.

She added that SFP provides augmentation support to the children feeding program in LGU-managed Day Care Centers / Supervised Neighborhood Play areas and communities using indigenous foods and/or locally produced food equivalent to 1/3 of the Recommended Energy and Nutrient Intake (RENI).

Canares disclosed that DSWD has allocated P222.5 million for the SFP cycle this year covering the four provinces of Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor and Negros Oriental.

Of the total budget allocation in Central Visayas, P178 million are fund transferred to the Local Government Unit (LGU) for viand provision while the P44.5 million was transferred to the National Food Authority for the rice provision.

Meanwhile, Gloria Baay, Day Care Teacher for 14 years in Mandaue City, Cebu shared that the SFP has significantly help improve the knowledge, attitude and practices of children, parents and caregivers through intensified nutrition and health education.

“Because of SFP more children are now enrolled in day-care due to the free food we provide them,” Baay admitted.

Baay also added that SFP has improved and sustained the nutritional status of the target children beneficiaries.

She revealed that for instance in Umapad Day Care Center where she is currently assigned data showed that from the 90 students enrolled last year covering three classes 22 were reportedly underweight.
After the 120-day feeding cycle and close monitoring, Baay disclosed that the number of underweight students have dropped from 22 to zero.

Umapad Barangay Captain Nelson Rubio for his part said that SFP aids the parents on how to properly prepare nutritious food to their children as they are the ones preparing the food for them.

Moreover, Josefine Aninon, Mandaue City Nutritionist, also added that SFP is the answer to those poor families who need food augmentation.

“SFP helps address the food shortage of those poor families to meet the required food intake of their children,” she said. (Phoebe Jen Indino, Pantawid Pamilya Information Officer)