THE Department of Social Welfare and Development in Davao Region (DSWD-Davao) has reported that around 4,000 children have recovered from malnutrition through its Supplementary Feeding Program (SFP).
According to April Orquita, DSWD-Davao’s program development officer, 4,014 out of 5,666 malnourished children showed improvement under the program’s 14th cycle. However, 1,652 children have yet to show signs of recovery. She clarified that these numbers are still partial, as several local government units (LGUs) have not submitted their reports.
Improvement has been observed in areas such as Davao del Norte, Digos City, Tarragona in Davao Oriental, and Mabini in Davao de Oro.
To address the risk of relapse after the 120-day feeding program ends, DSWD-Davao is working closely with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and Ateneo de Davao University’s Project Amuma. Orquita stressed that once the feeding program concludes, it becomes the responsibility of the LGUs to continue supporting the children’s nutritional needs until the next cycle begins.
“Hindi pa po siya sapat since it only serves them with 120 feeding so for those children na malnourish po talaga. We encourage the children to continue at home, and they were also provided with health education and endorsed to the city (It’s not enough, as the program only provides 120 feeding days. That’s why we encourage families to continue the nutritional care at home. We also provide health education and refer the children to the city for further support,” Orquita said during the Kapehan sa Dabaw press briefing held Monday morning, May 19, 2025, at SM City Davao.
The SFP caters to children aged 3 to 4 enrolled in Child Development Centers (CDCs) and those aged 2 to 4 in Supervised Neighborhood Play (SNP) groups.
With the 14th cycle completed, DSWD-Davao is set to launch the 15th cycle on June 23, 2025. Of the 49 LGUs in the region, 31 will implement the program through regional procurement, while 18 will do so via fund transfers. RGP