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Capitol launches national supplemental feeding program

The Iloilo Provincial Government through the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) has launched on Monday, October 24, the National Supplemental Feeding Program at the Iloilo Provincial Capitol lobby.

This program will contribute to the millennium development goals (MDG) target of having the prevalence of underweight 0-5 years old children by 2015, reduce poverty through job creation and increased income and increase food production and reduce import dependence on milk, flour, vegetables, etc.

Targets of this program are pre-schoolers by feeding them with healthy and nutritious foods for five days in a week which comprise of coco pandesal and fresh milk for three days and hot meals for two days.

This program will last for 120 feeding days (six months) with total budget of P2,076,000 for Region VI.

This project is also piloted in the Municipalities of Cabatuan, Tubungan and Leon with P167,000 budget allotted for each municipality through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) inked between the DWSD Region VI Dir. Teresita S. Rosales, Gov. Niel D. Tupas, Sr., Mayors (Leon, Cabatuan and Tubungan) and President of Parents’ Committee.

In support to this program, Tupas said the province will provide the said municipalities with fresh milk and allocate budget but he did not mention the exact amount though.

He is also planning to implement the same program in other towns in the province of Iloilo to help eradicate malnutrition among school children.

The ceremonial feeding was headed by the governor, with First Lady Myrna C. Tupas, Provincial Administrator Manuel P. Mejorada, PSWDO Head Neneth Q. Pador, Director Rosales, Cabatuan Mayor Ramon C. Yee and capitol department heads.

This feeding program falls under the National Pre-School Education Program of DSWD and Department of Education in the Province of Iloilo.

(Ian C. Espada/Capitol News)