Feeding program for students to continue amidst Covid-19 threat- DepEd

On Monday, the Department of Education (DepEd) said that it will continue its feeding program for 1.7 million student beneficiaries despite the continues threat of coronavirus disease 2019.

DepEd through the Bureau of Learners Support Services-School Health Division (BLSS-SHD) implemented the School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP) for School Years (SY) 2017-2022 to address malnutrition among public school children.

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The program primarily aims to improve the nutritional status of the beneficiaries by at least 70% at the end of 120 feeding days. Secondarily, it aims to increase classroom attendance by 85% to 100% and improve the children’s health and nutrition values and behavior.

DepEd Undersecretary Annalyn Sevilla said at a press conference that the feeding program will be customized depending on the public health situation of schools. Sevilla said,

Kung dati nagluluto ang teacher at mga magulang, tapos ang mga bata habang nasa eskuwelahan ay kumakain, ngayon, ito ay ide-deliver sa bahay.

[Formerly teacher and parents used to cook while the students are eating in the school. Now, it will be delivered to their homes.]

Depende sa public health situation ng ating mga eskuwelahan. So kung ano ang compliant sa minimum health standard.

[It depends on the public health situation of our schools. We will be compliant with the minimum health standard,]

Sevilla explained that the conduct of the feeding program may have different processes for different schools or even students. She added that local government units and parents will be consulted during the implementation of the program.

The DepEd's budget for the feeding program was reduced by 7.72% in the 2021 National Expenditure Program, from P6.475 billion in 2020 down to 5.975 billion now, Sevilla sad.

Meanwhile, in preparation for the coming school year, DepEd is also focusing on delivering psychosocial interventions and health literacy.

According to Education Secretary Leonor Briones, its part of President Rodrigo Duterte's directive to DepEd. It is to protect the mental health of the people in the midst of the pandemic. In this regard, the secretary shared various webinars on psychosocial orientation, which DepEd implements for teachers and learners.