BY: JUJU M. EMPUERTO
CEBU CITY, June 19 (PIA) --- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD-7) continues to implement the Supplementary Feeding Program (SFP) in partnership with 132 local government units in Central Visayas.
DSWD-7 regional director Mercedita Jabagat said the “SFP is the agency’s contribution to the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) program of the government.”
DSWD-7 information officer on NHTS-PR or Listahanan, Kerwin Macopia explained that this is the start of the 4th cycle implementation of SFP that will end by 2015.
Macopia added that around P231T has been allocated for the project and these will be transferred and managed by the various local government units in the region.
Of the amount, P184,795,200 was allocated for viands P46,198,800 is intended for the purchase of rice from the National Food Authority (NFA), Macopia said.
SFP also aims to improve the knowledge, attitude and practices of children, parents and caregivers through intensified nutrition and health education, aside from the food augmentation support provided to the LGUs.
Macopia concluded that the end result of the SFP will be an improved and sustained nutritional status for the target children beneficiaries,
He said other complementary activities will also be undertaken to fully maximize the impact of the SFP. These include bi-annual deworming, micronutrient supplementation of vitamin A, growth monitoring, nutrition education, conduct of Parent Effectiveness Seminar, Family Development Session and the Pabasa sa Nutrisyon,
Each child has a budget of P13 per meal in a day of which the P10 is for the viand and P3 is for the iron fortified rice.
Cooking utensils are also budgeted for about P1T per day care center while the eating utensils cost P75 per child.
The feeding program will be managed by parents based on a prepared meal cycle using available indigenous food supplies.
Children will be weighed at the start of the feeding, 60 days after and after the completion of the 120 feeding days to determine the improvement of their nutritional status.
Each LGU shall procure the needed supplies, properly supported as required under the existing budgeting, accounting and auditing rules and regulations.
Furthermore, LGUs shall take full responsibility in the proper disbursement and liquidation of funds for the implementation of the program.
For cycle four, DSWD targets about 153,996 children beneficiaries in the region. Cebu has 81,622 children beneficiaries, Negros Oriental with 36,984 while Bohol and Siquijor have 32,739 and 2,519 children beneficiaries, respectively.
SFP, which started in 2011, is a major anti-hunger program of DSWD that provides food supplementation in the form of hot meals to be served during snack and meal time to children five days in a week for 120 days under LGU-managed day care centers and supervised neighborhood play groups.(mbcn/jsme/PIA7-Cebu/DSWD7)