DSWD6 to release P120M for Food for School project
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office VI will release a total of P120 million for implementation of the Food for School Project in different provinces here in Western Visayas.
This project, which was implemented in limited target areas way back in 2006, will now cover most of the areas of the Region in a total of 110 municipalities and cities. The Food for School project is under the accelerated hunger mitigation of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
The following are the areas and beneficiaries: Aklan - 14 municipalities with 351 day care centers and 10,231 pre-schoolers; Antique - 17 municipalities with 516 day care centers and 13,577 pre-schoolers; Iloilo - 34 municipalities with 1,213 day care centers and 31,663 pre-schoolers; Negros -25 municipalities and cities with 1,290 day centers and 62,085 pre-schoolers; Capiz - 16 municipalities with 515 day centers and 13,525 pre-schoolers; Guimaras - four municipalities with 102 day care centers and 2,283 pre-schoolers.
The identification of the beneficiaries was done by the National Office using the Small Area Estimate.
The scheme of implementation would be giving of 1 kilo of rice per day for each pre-schooler who attends class. "We will purchase rice from the National Food Authority (NFA) and NFA will deliver the rice to respective day care centers," said Salvacion Gayoma, DSWD Nutritionist and focal person on Food for School.
It maybe recalled that after the Food for School Project in 2006, Supplemental Feeding Project was implemented by DSWD. "We have now shifted to Food for School because the Supplemental Feeding program should now be devolved to LGUs," said Gayoma.
DSWD is speeding up the implementation of the Project. It is aimed that orientation on the project will be conducted immediately and the operationalization will start as soon as possible. (dswd6/mragocastillo)