SAN JOSE, Occidental Mindoro (PIA) -- A total of 4,456 children ages 2 to 4 years old in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro will benefit from a 120-day nutrient-dense feeding program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to combat malnutrition.

Under the Supplementary Feeding Program (SFP), the children enrolled in 99 Child Development Centers (CDC) and Supervised Neighborhood Play (SNP) will receive supplementary meals in addition to their regular meals to cushion the health impediments that the recent pandemic may have caused children in formative years, as explained by the DSWD Memorandum Circular 12 series of 2020.

The program aims to achieve an 80 percent rehabilitation rate for severely underweight and underweight children.

The commodities used for the feeding will be given to the Child Development Workers (CDW), who will deliver the items to the CDCs. The parents of the children will be the ones who will prepare the meals as approved by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI).

Both the food preparation and the feeding will take place in CDCs to ensure that the children will receive freshly made hot meals. In instances where a child will not be able to attend class, the food will be delivered to the child’s home.

But what makes this province’s version of the usual feeding program is that the children will also be subjected to values education. 

Alicia Cajayon of MSWDO underscored that the program benefits the whole family as it teaches the children and the parents to practice good values.

“Hindi lang ito basta pagpapakain. Ito rin ay inculcating values sa mga bata, at may role din ang parents na maituloy ito sa bahay. Hindi lang yung pagkain ng masustansyang pagkain, pero ‘yong pagdadasal bago kumain, paghuhugas ng kamay, dapat less spilling [ng pagkain], at walang tira[ng] pagkain,” she said.

[This is not just feeding. It also inculcates values in children, and parents have a role in continuing the good practices obtained during the program such as praying and washing hands before eating, less food spillage, and no food waste.]

Cajayon also highlighted that parents will learn to overcome difficult budgeting for food through the program as it teaches simple and cheap meals that are nutritious.

“Sa mga magulang na nai-interview namin noon, nashi-share nila na problema raw nila ang pagba-budget sa pagkain. Pero nagugulat sila na pwede raw pala ‘yong mga simpleng recipe lang na may halong mga malunggay o papaya na mayroon sa bakuran nila, makakagawa na ng healthy at mura pang pagkain,” Cajayon shared.

[During our interviews, the parents shared that one of their problems is food budgeting. But they were surprised to learn that there are simple, cheap, and healthy recipes just using malunggay or papaya that are accessible to them.]

Cajayon added that the barangay and municipal local government units (LGU) provided cooking utensils and equipment to the CDCs, while private individuals and parents’ associations donated food to the children and provided transportation allowance to CDWs. 

Ultimately, the program contributes to laying a foundation for a child’s holistic development.

“Ang tutok natin ay development ng bata. Kasama na ang physical, mental, emotional, at iba pa. Malaking bagay ang [SFP] upang ma-develop ang health ng mga bata dahil kung ang bata ay matamlay, hindi ito makakapag-participate ng maayos sa klase at sa community na makakaapekto sa pang kabuuang development nila,” she said.

[Our focus is the child’s development. This includes physical, mental, emotional, and other factors. SFP plays a huge role in children's health development because if a child is lethargic and will hinder the child’s participation in the class and the community it will affect the child’s overall development]

The MSWDO will employ regular monitoring of the children, including weigh-ins, to check their progress through the feeding program. If there is no increase in weight after 30 to 60 days, the CDW will coordinate with the BHWs to check if the child has a medical concern that needs to be addressed. (DSG/PIA MIMAROPA – Occidental Mindoro)