As part of its commitment to improve the Early Childhood Care and Development Program (ECCD) program of the government, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office VII is targeting 121,419 children in Central Visayas to benefit from its Supplementary Feeding Program (SFP).

Of the said target Cebu Province has the most number with about 86,912 followed by Bohol Province with 32,052 and Siquijor with 2,455.

SFP is the provision of food in addition to the regular meals. The food supplementation will be in a form of hot meals to be served during snack/meal time to children five (5) days a week for 120 days.

DSWD-7 Regional Director Ma. Evelyn B. Macapobre bared that SFP targets children 2-5 years old who are under Supervised Neighborhood Play group or enrolled in public Day Care Centers.

She added that the feeding program will be managed by the parents based on a prepared meal cycle using available indigenous food supplies in the area.

“Children beneficiaries will be weighed at the start of the feeding and 60 days thereafter and after the completion of 120 feeding days to determine improvement and sustenance in their nutritional status,” Macapobre explained.

The department has a total fund allocation of P222, 519, 000 for the school year 2016-2017 in the region. Of the said fund P152, 437, 560 is intended for the viand will be transferred to the respective Local Government Units (LGU) in the region while the remaining allocation will be transferred to the National Food Authority for the rice requirement.

Earlier, some P16 million was allocated for the purchase of measuring tools distributed to the selected LGUs.

Meanwhile, in a related development DSWD-7 has also opened a breastfeeding station in support of this year’s nutrition month celebration with the theme “First 1000 days ni baby pahalagahan para sa malusog na kinabukasan.”

DSWD-7 personnel also joined the opening salvo of the said celebration held at SM Seaside and have institutionalized nutrition lectures. ###

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