DSWD eyes Food for School Program in daycare centers
After evaluating the effectiveness of a Food for School Program in 2009 as a component of daycare centers, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) regional office here is eyeing an expanded and enhanced food program for daycare pupils in selected areas of the region.
DSWD Assistant Regional Director Joel Galicia reported that the program was able to give one kilo of rice for 70 days last year to a total of 41,385 preschool beneficiaries in selected 1,034 daycare centers in Western Visayas.
The rice allowance augmented the daily food requirement of daycare center beneficiaries as an intervention tool against malnutrition, Galicia said.
The rice costs P20 per kilo. Thus, P57,939,000 was spent for the rice requirement of 2,896,950 kilos in 70 days in 27 municipalities in the region.
The beneficiaries included the municipalities with the most number of malnutrition cases such as the municipalities of Madalag and Libacao in Aklan province–2,255 preschool beneficiaries and budget allocation of P3.157 million; Carles, Concepcion and San Dionisio in the province of Iloilo with combined 5,813 preschoolers and an allocation of P8.138 million; Salvador Benedicto, Calatrava, Cauayan and Moises Padilla in the province of Negros Occidental with 9,819 combined preschoolers and an allocation of P13.746 million.
Galicia said that all the 18 towns of the province of Antique were placed under the program with a combined number of 23,498 preschoolers who availed of the rice allocation.
The municipalities of Anini-y, Barbaza, Belison, Bugasong, Caluya, Culasi, Hamtic, Laua-an, Libertad, Pandan, Patnongon, San Remegio, San Jose, Sebaste, Sibalom, Tibiao, Tobias Fornier and Valderrama have a total of 628 daycare centers and total budgetary allocation reached P32,897,200 for 1,644.860 kilos of rice. (PNA)
