Davao city: The Department of Social Welfare and Development in the Davao Region (DSWD-11) is targeting 89,879 children for its supplementary feeding program (SFP) this year, starting July 14, an official said Monday. Now in its 15th cycle, Larraine Villaver, the DSWD-11's SFP unit head, said they will serve children aged 3-4 years enrolled in various child development centers (CDCs), 2-4 in supervised neighborhood playgroups, and 5-year-olds who are not enrolled in the Department of Education (DepEd).
According to Philippines News Agency, the program is designed to feed not only undernourished children but also those with normal nutrition status over a period of 120 feeding days. Last year, Villaver noted that 122,400 children benefited from the SFP in the region.
Villaver explained that the program provides hot meals and alternative meals to the children. For hot meals, the children are served viand and rice, ensuring that the food contains essential nutrients necessary for growth. Additionally, alternative meals like the nutribun are also part of the program.
The SFP aims to maintain children's nutritional status by providing augmentation support with indigenous or local foods. Moreover, it seeks to enhance parents' and caregivers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices through nutrition education and Enhanced Parent Effectiveness Session (ENPES).
For this year's implementation, the budget allocated per child is PHP 25 per meal, which is intended for rice and viand, covering the 120 feeding days.
