P8.9B allotted for expanded feeding programs in schools

[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]

[av_heading heading=’P8.9B allotted for expanded feeding programs in schools’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]

By Prince Golez, Manila Reporter

[/av_heading]

[av_textblock size=” font_color=’custom’ color=”]
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
[/av_textblock]

[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]

MANILA – The government has earmarked a total of P8.9 billion in this year’s budget to implement nutrition services in the country.

The Department of Education (DepEd) will implement P4.2 billion worth of in-school free feeding programs, while P4.4 billion has been allocated for the implementation of the supplementary feeding program by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

About P295 million has also been allocated for prenatal care for expectant mothers and feeding program for toddlers.

“We have supported these nutrition programs of the government, and our next step is to institutionalize them through legislative fiat to make these programs permanent,” said Sen. Grace Poe, who is pushing for the passage of Senate Bill No. (SBN) 1297, or An Act Creating a National School Feeding Program to Combat Hunger and Undernutrition for all Basic Education Students.

The school feeding program would ensure that Filipino children are well nourished and grow up in the best of health, Poe explained.

SBN 1297 directs the DepEd, National Nutrition Council, and the Food and Nutrition Research Institute to prepare a menu that satisfies at least one-third of the daily nutritional requirement of a child based on the Philippine Dietary Reference Intake.

Poe also filed SBN 161, or the proposed First 1,000 Days Act that seeks to provide mothers and children full protection and food security. The proposal shall also implement nutrition counselling, milk feeding for pregnant and nursing mothers, treatment of malnourished children with therapeutic food, and the timely provision of save and appropriate complementary food.

“I hope our government sees the important of passing this bill. By caring for our mothers, we care for our children, and by caring for our children, we are caring for our nation – for who else will become the backbone of this nation but the future generation,” the senator said.

In September last year, Poe wrote to the President to certify as a priority the two nutrition measures. According to her, the President’s certification allows the measures to hurdle the second and third reading on the same day and bypass the three-day rule between approvals as required by the Constitution./PN

 

[/av_textblock]

[/av_one_full]

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here