MARAWI CITY (PIA)—The Bangsamoro Government assures that Bangsamoro learners get adequate nutrition through its school-based feeding program.
During the dissemination forum with humanitarian partners, February 23, Minister for Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE) Mohagher Iqbal said the ministry allocated P384 million from the Block Grant, duly approved by the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament, for a school-based feeding program for 160,000 learners from the 11 divisions of the region.
"The MBHTE promotes healthy eating habits through our school-based feeding program (SBFP) to ensure our students consume food with the proper nutritional value; we need to guarantee that they are well-educated and in good health," Iqbal said.
So, some of the benefits of school feeding for children and teens include reducing hunger, reducing micronutrient deficiency and anemia, preventing overweight and obesity, improving school enrollment and attendance, improving cognitive and academic performance, and making sure that girls and boys have the same access to education.
To recall, former President Duterte signed in 2018 Republic Act No. 11037, or the "Masustansyang Pagkain para sa Batang Pilipino Act," which established a National Feeding Program for undernourished public-school children in daycare centers, as well as those in kindergarten to grade 6.
Iqbal also let the humanitarian partners know that the regional government backs their plans for home-grown feeding programs in the region. These programs will give healthy food to school-aged children and help the local economy in the region.
Meanwhile, Bangsamoro Planning and Development Authority (BPDA) Director-General (DG) Mohajirin Ali shared that the Bangsamoro Government acknowledged the importance of school health and nutrition and the local farmers’ contribution to boosting the local economy.
"We recognize the contribution of our local farmers through home-grown school feeding to address the malnutrition among the school-aged children to ensure their health and nutrition, as well as providing them with access to basic education," Ali said.
The Finnish Embassy in Manila collaborated with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UNFAO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and the UN World Food Programme (UNWFP) to organize the forum.
Juha Pyykko, the ambassador of Finland to the Philippines, led the forum, which sought to present the assessment's findings and gather opinions and suggestions from the BARMM ministries, offices, and agencies on how to integrate locally produced school meals through multi-stakeholder collaboration.
Representatives from the National Nutrition Council (NNC-BARMM), Ministry of Health (MOH), Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD), Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Agrarian Reform (MAFAR), Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG), Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs (MIPA), Consortium of the 4 Bangsamoro Civil Society (CBCS), and Community and Family Services International were present during the forum. (BIO/PIA-10/Lanao del Sur)
