MORE than 140,000 children in Central Visayas aged 2-5 years old have benefited from the Supplementary Feeding Program (SFP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Most of the children-beneficiaries are from Cebu (78,880), Negros Oriental with 34,461, Bohol with 32,582 and Siquijor with 2,423.
Hot meals will be served during snack/meal time to children five days a week for 120 days.
The feeding program will be managed by parents based on a prepared meal cycle.
Children will be weighed at the start of the feeding and 60 days later and after the completion of 120 feeding days to determine improvement and sustenance in their nutritional status, said Melinda Cañares, SFP focal person of DSWD 7.
SFP augments the children’s feeding program in day care centers or supervised neighborhood play areas and communities . The program uses locally produced food equivalent to 1/3 of the recommended energy and nutrient intake.
Cañares said the DSWD has allocated P222.5 million for the SFP cycle this year covering the four provinces of Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor and Negros Oriental.
Of the total budget outlay in Central Visayas, P178 million is for viands and P44.5 million for rice.