LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu — More than 114,000 children attending child development and daycare centers in Cebu and Bohol are included in this year’s Supplementary Feeding Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Central Visayas (DSWD-7).
The agency officially rolled out the program on June 22, 2026, as part of its intervention to address malnutrition among young children and support their overall health during their early years.
A total of 114,833 children are covered by this year’s implementation, with 86,629 beneficiaries from Cebu and another 28,204 from Bohol.
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Expanded implementation
The program is carried out in child development centers with the help of parent volunteers, who take part in preparing and serving the food provided to the children.
Under the program, beneficiaries receive either cooked meals or other approved food items, together with fresh milk or milk-based products, based on earlier information released by DSWD.
This year’s implementation also increases the feeding period to 180 days from the previous 120-day schedule.
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Food supplies have been distributed to 28 local government units in Central Visayas through contracted community-based organizations and associations under the Sustainable Livelihood Program.
Child nutrition remains a concern
The feeding program comes as child malnutrition continues to affect several areas in the region.
Data from the National Nutrition Council’s 2025 Operation Timbang Plus report, released in March, showed that Cebu Province recorded 20,664 cases of stunting among children below five years old, the highest among local government units.
The same report also documented 8,672 underweight children, 3,141 cases of wasting, and 5,911 children classified as overweight or obese in the province.
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Capitol’s parallel effort
Separately, the Cebu Provincial Government earlier earmarked P140 million for its own feeding initiative to strengthen nutrition programs across the province.
The Capitol is also expecting the delivery of seven mobile kitchens this July, which will be deployed to different areas to support community feeding activities.