Los Baṅos Partners with Dswd for Supplemental Feeding Program

Los Baṅos Partners with DSWD for Supplemental Feeding Program

A memorandum of agreement between Los Baṅos and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has been signed and approved on June 27, 2011 for the implementation of the supplemental feeding program for day-care students in the Municipality of Los Baṅos.

The DSWD is providing nutrition services to its clients at the local level through the center-based and community based services. DSWD partners with Non-Government Organizations under the Program Management Bureau, such as the Food for School and Healthy Start Feeding Program in day care centers which were previously implemented nutrition programs of the Department.

According to DSWD-FO IV-A Regional Director Wilma D. Naviamos, the supplemental feeding program is the provision of food in the addition to the regular meals prepared by the parents of the enrolled day care students as part of the DSWD's contribution to Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) program of the government.

Director Naviamos said that the program, which costs P12 per child per day, aims to provide augmentation support to feeding program for children in LGU-managed day care centers using locally processed foods equivalent to 1/3 of Recommended Energy and Nutrient Intakes (RENIs). The food that will be served will be in the form of hot meals like "lugaw" or "arrozcaldo" together with milk as recommended by Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI). She also added that the program not just aims to address hunger but also targets to help improve parents' effectiveness.

The feeding program will be managed by both DSWD volunteers and staff in cooperation with the parents of the day care students who will be organized into a day care service parents group with working committees. Parents will also be encouraged to attend and finish nine sessions on Parent Effectiveness Service (PES). These sessions are about family, parenting and health nutrition and these are to be handled by City and Municipal Social Welfare and Development Offices.

All children will be examined by the Barangay Health Worker using the weight-for-age and height-for-age measurement based on the new WHO Child Growth Standards or the ECCD growth chart. The children will be weighed at the start of the feeding and a monthly weighing will be done to determine improvement in their nutritional status.

"Aside from feeding, children shall be taught proper hygiene, simple concepts on health care and nutrition, and the importance of nutrition to their health and development", Los Baṅos DSWD staff Hannah Lavinia said.

The launch date of the said program here in Los Baṅos is yet to be announced for according to Los Baṅos DSWD staff Hannah Lavinia, the fund for this project is yet to be finalized.