Nutritional Status of Pupils improved with DepEd's Expanded Nutrition Program
San Jose, Antique – The nutritional status of pupils greatly improved with the implementation of Food for School program (FSP) of the Department of Education.
Dr. Ma, Rosie Autajay, DepEd's Medical Officer said that the FSP remarkably contributed to the overall reduction of malnutrition incidence in the province from No. 1 to No. 6 in the whole of Western Visayas.
The Department of Education has expanded the coverage of its school feeding program meant at improving the attendance and performance of public school children.
Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said that student beneficiaries of the program rose by 300 percent in 2007 compared to the previous year.
As an effect the percentage of school children below normal nutritional status decreased from 20 percent in 2006 to 17 percent last year.
The 4,213 Prep and Grade 1 pupils of the five school districts here under the Food for School Program (FSP) would continue receiving a kilo of rice for each day of attendance in school starting this February up to March or a total of 35 days as disclosed during the Coordinating Conference of the National Food Authority and the Department of Education here.
The FSP beneficiaries are the school districts of Anini-y – 18 schools 1,049 pupils, Barbaza – 16 schools 1,055 pupils, Belison – 8 schools 516 pupils, Libertad – 15 schools 845 and Sebaste – 10 school 745 pupils.
The total rice allocation for the 35 days amounted to 2,949.10 bags of 50 kilos each bag which the National Food Authority would deliver to the beneficiaries.
During the meeting it was emphasized that provision in the Memorandum of Agreement must be strictly complied with, which include among others the door-to-door delivery of NFA stocks and must be received only by the duly authorized school heads or nutrition teachers of respective schools, said Julyn Canson, NFA Operations Head and in charge of FSP. (EA Abasquez/PIA)