THE Department of Social Welfare and Development-Davao Region (DSWD-Davao) aims to serve about 91,516 children under its Supplementary Feeding Program (SFP) in 2026, up from 89,879 beneficiaries last year.
Larraine T. Villaver, head of the Supplementary Feeding Program, said the increase reflects the growing number of children enrolled in Child Development Centers (CDCs).
She said the program once served as many as 122,400 children, but enrollment declined after many five-year-olds transferred to kindergarten classes under the Department of Education.
Villaver emphasized that all children enrolled in CDCs qualify for the feeding program, regardless of their nutritional status.
"Regardless of nutritional status, kung underweight, overweight, normal, or stunted binibigyan paring natin siya ng feeding as long as enroll siya sa child development center (Regardless of nutritional status, whether the child is underweight, overweight, of normal weight, or stunted, we still provide feeding as long as the child is enrolled in the Child Development Center)," she said during Kapehan sa Dabaw on July 6 at SM City Davao.
Villaver also acknowledged that the P25 meal budget per child remains insufficient to provide a fully balanced hot meal.
She said the amount barely covers the cost of rice, but DSWD nutritionists continue to develop menus and recipes that maximize the available budget while meeting children's nutritional needs.
To supplement hot meals, the program also provides alternative food items such as NutriBun, NutriCookies, and Nutricombo, which cost less to prepare.
Villaver said the DSWD central office has proposed increasing the meal budget and expressed hope that the additional funding will be approved to improve the food provided to beneficiaries.
Launched in 2011, the Supplementary Feeding Program operates on a 120-day feeding cycle each year, serving hot meals consisting of rice and viand as well as alternative fortified food products.
The program is currently implemented in all 49 local government units in Davao Region that operate Child Development Centers. RGP
