Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 26) — The Department of Education (DepEd) on Wednesday said it is planning to carry out the feeding program in public schools for the entire academic year.
\”Kasi nasa 120 days for the school year ang ating school-based feeding program [Our school-based feeding program runs for 120 days in a school year], we are looking to expand this, to try and see if we could have it for the entire school year,\” DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa told a post-State of the Nation Address briefing.
The Masustansyang Pagkain Para sa Batang Pilipino Act requires that the feeding program must run for not less than 120 days. An academic year usually lasts more than 200 days.
By stretching the feeding program, Poa said more students are unlikely to drop out from school due to malnutrition.
\”That’s very important because it hits two birds with one stone. Aside from giving proper nutrition to our learners, it also encourages our learners to stay in school,\” he said.
The school-based feeding program covers undernourished public school students from Kindergarten to Grade 6.
The government earlier launched the World Bank-funded Philippine Multisectoral Nutrition Project, which aims to reduce the number of stunted children by as much as 8% within three years.
