Liwanag ng Pamilya and Gulayan programs converge for schoolchildren in remote areas

The Liwanag ng Pamilya Program (LPP) of the provincial government of Davao de Oro in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd) Davao de Oro Division holds a 2-day LPP Briefing and Coordination Meeting at DepEd Training Center, Nabunturan, Davao de Oro on August 5-6, 2020.

Attending the program were the Gulayan sa Paaralan Program (GPP) coordinators of the DepEd of the first and 2nd district of the province.

The beneficiaries of the program were the selected schools with severely wasted learners and belong to the geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAS).

Mark Vincent Tenio Bayanihan Para Sa Kalusugan (BPSK), Kusina Ng Kalinga (KNK) focal person gives overview of the BPSK-KNK, LPP and GPP convergence of the schoolchildren.

He said that the objectives of the LPP is to secure sufficient food supply at home and to strengthen the GPP, by providing additional income-generating activity for the parents of the malnourished schoolchildren and to achieve and maintain the good nutritional status of the children.

On the other hand, Jana May Masaling LPP Action Officer gives the LPP rationale for SY 2020-2021 implementation.

She said that the LPP will focus on schools that were not beneficiaries of the KNK program.

She added that LPP was created to support the BPSK:KNK program of the provincial government and the GPP of the DepEd which both aim to improve nutritional status of malnourished schoolchildren and focuses in empowering women, specifically the mothers of identified malnourished children by providing alternative livelihood for them at the same time securing nutritious food for their children at home through backyard gardening and school gardening.

The LPP also provide holistic training to the parents to ensure childrens success in education and harmony in the family and encourages the collaboration between the local government units, non-government organizations, national agencies, private sector, and community members in combating malnutrition.

The Provincial Women Development Council (PWDC) of the provincial government also partnered with DepEd, Department of Agriculture (DA), and the Gawad Kalinga Foundation of the LPP with the main goal to provide healthy food and livelihood for every household. (Rey Antibo, ID Davao de Oro)

No more hunger ...

... pangs hampering schooling

New Philippine law institutionalizes feeding program for schoolchildren

Image Credit: REUTERS

File photo: Students participate in morning exercises during the first day of class at Rosauro Almario Elementary School in Tondo city, metro Manila, Philippines.

Published: 14:58 July 4, 2018

Gilbert P. Felongco, Correspondent

 

Manila: President Rodrigo Duterte has signed a law mandating the government to provide free meals to students as well as provide health-based programme to improve and maintain their well-being.

Duterte signed the National School Feeding Programme (Republic Act 11037) to address the problem of undernutrition among Filipino children, particularly those in daycare centres, kindergarten, and elementary level.

Although past administrations, particularly during former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s leadership, had the so-called Supplemental Feeding Programme, what makes the current school nourishment scheme different is that it provides a mechanism to make the scheme sustainable.

“This new law will institutionalise a national feeding programme for undernourished Filipino children in public schools,” the presidential palace said.

Under the new law, the government shall provide supplemental feeding to public school children in daycare centres and kindergartens to up to sixth graders, a milk-feeding programme, a micronutrient feeding programme, health examinations, vaccinations, and deworming among others.

To sustain the program, the government is mandated to allot a space in the schools where the school and students can plant vegetables.

Experts have noted that the lack of nutrition results in students with poor aptitude aside from laggard overall health and well-being.

Senator Bam Aquino, the principal sponsor of the measure in the Senate, said the new law likewise aims to provide additional livelihood to local farmers.

He said dairy farmers would supply the needed supplies, such as milk for the feeding programme.

“Aside from responding to the problem on malnutrition, our farmers stand to benefit from this programme through the milk they would sell to the schools,” he said.

Representative Raul del Mar, 1st District, Cebu City, a principal author of the measure that came into law, said the National School Feeding Programme is expected to benefit millions of public school children as they would be provided with free breakfast among others.

“Children going to school with practically no breakfast from home cannot be expected to absorb their lessons in school while suffering from hunger pangs,” Del Mar said.

He said that there had been efforts in the past to provide public school pupils with free meals to entice them to go to school and for their parents to allow them to get education, but these programmes were largely unsustainable because of lack of funds.

Under the National School Feeding Programme law, the school feeding scheme will be institutionalised with the government annually allotting budget for the project.

“It is state policy to promote the rights of children to survival, development and special protection with full recognition on the nature of childhood and its special needs,” the new law states.

According to Del Mar, a large segment of pupils in public schools come from poor families. Those that are very poor often suffer from undernourishment and malnourishments. This affects their capacity to attain and maintain academic performance.

“House Bill 5269 declares it is the state policy to promote the rights of children to survival, development and special protection with full recognition on the nature of childhood and its special needs,” the measure notes.