The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office 7 convened the local government unit (LGU) implementers of the Supplementary Feeding Program in Cebu City for a program implementation review in Cebu and Bohol LGUs on June 17-18, 2025, and on June 19-20, 2025, respectively.
This activity focuses on evaluating the implementation of Cycle 14 of the SFP. This 120-day feeding program provides nutritious meals to children aged 2 to 5 years enrolled in child development centers (CDCs) and supervised neighborhood playgroups, commonly referred to as daycare centers.
Participants include representatives from local social welfare and development offices, child development workers, and SFP focal persons from various LGUs. The review aims to assess accomplishments, identify challenges faced during the previous cycle, and strategize for the effective rollout of the upcoming Cycle 15.
Ma. Romilene C. Padilla, the program focal person, highlighted the significance of the review, especially in light of new directives under Memorandum Circular No. 26, Series of 2024, which outlines the Omnibus Guidelines for SFP’s Hot Meals and Milk Feeding.
“This review is crucial as we prepare for Cycle 15, ensuring that all implementers, especially the LGUs, are aligned with the new policies and ready to deliver improved services,” Padilla said.
For Cycle 15, the government allocated a total budget of Php 529.5 million. Of this, Php 451.9 million will fund hot meals at Php 25 per child per day, benefiting 150,637 children. An additional Php 77.6 million is designated for milk feeding at Php 22 per child per day, reaching 29,400 children.
The new feeding cycle will begin July 24, 2025, and will cover the provinces of Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor. The Negros Island Region (NIR) is still undergoing transition and will covered in the regional implementation.
For Negros Occidental, a total budget of Php 158.7 million has been allocated to provide hot meals to 52,889 children beneficiaries and milk feeding to 2,819 children, excluding Bacolod City, which will be covered by the DSWD Field Office in Western Visayas.
In her message to the participants, Regional Director Shalaine Marie S. Lucero expressed gratitude to program implementers for their continued efforts to improve the nutritional status of children.
“We welcome your insights and reflections from Cycle 14, as these will help shape better strategies, improve our interventions, and enhance the overall delivery of the succeeding cycles,” Lucero said.
During the review, DSWD announced that for the upcoming cycle, it will use the Transfer of Funds modality. Under this approach, funds will be transferred directly to the LGUs, giving them a more hands-on role in procuring supplies and managing the feeding.
“I would like to give you an early heads-up: starting Cycle 15, we will transfer funds directly to LGUs,” Lucero announced. “This will promote timely fund utilization and prompt liquidation while allowing LGUs to procure directly from Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), cooperatives supported by the Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (EPAHP), and Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) associations.”
Participants also received technical assistance in crafting cycle menus, preparing food allocations for the beneficiaries, how to use new beneficiary databases, and the year’s activities for LGU implementers.
With a shared goal of prioritizing the well-being of children in daycare centers and communities, DSWD 7 remains committed to improving program delivery and outcomes through collaboration and capacity-building.
A separate implementation review was conducted for the provinces of Negros Oriental and Siquijor on June 2-3, 2025, in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental. ###