Thursday, October 05, 2006 Social welfare expands 'Food for School' program
THE "Bigas para sa Mag-aaral at Pamilya" or "Food for School" program is on its second phase of implementation that initially served the towns of Sagada, Bauko and Bontoc in Mt. Province in 2005.
For its expansion for 2006-2007, it will be covering the 34 municipalities from the provinces of Apayao, Ifugao, Mt. Province and Abra. The areas were selected based on the degree of food insecurity and vulnerability using the food insecurity and vulnerability information and mapping system (Fivims). The Fivims is one of the country's commitments to the "World Food Summit of 1996".
"An amount of P4.2 million will be allocated for the program within an initial of 23-day implementation. The program will target 9,309 day care children from the four provinces and 34 municipalities where 214,107 kilograms of iron-fortified rice would be delivered by the National Food Authority (NFA) for distribution. The expected number of days of implementation is 120," said Marcia Espinueva, a nutritionist.
The NFA, the National Nutrition Council (NNC) and the interior and education departments, through the program, intends to address the incidence of hunger and malnutrition.
As an immediate intervention, the program addresses hunger among families through their children in day care centers. It also aims to improve school attendance of day care children.
"It (program) is a form of food subsidy for young learners who belong to poor families. It will provide a ration of one-kilo rice per day of attendance. As long as the child goes to day care everyday, the family is assured of rice on its table, which will eventually contribute to the improvement of their nutritional status," Espinueva added.
The implementation commenced in August 2006 and will end on the second quarter of 2007.
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