Have you ever wondered how small kids in poor communities get fed? If you’ve ever wondered what happens to malnourished kids, this is one of the programs that can help them. The DSWD Supplementary Feeding Program is a partnership between the DSWD and LGUs to provide nutritious meals to children aged two to 12 years old in poor communities.
The program is a good way to help your child grow up healthy and strong if you’re a parent. The DSWD aims to provide 1.2 million children with nutritious meals daily in schools, day care centers, and communities for the duration of this program. If you want to learn more about this program, The Supplemental Feeding Program (SFP) delivers food to children enrolled in daycare centers in addition to their regular meals as part of the DSWD’s commitment to the government’s Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) program.
Food supplements are provided to children in Day Care Centers (DCCs) in the form of hot meals during break/snack time in the morning session and break/snack time in the afternoon session, as well as Supervised Neighborhood Play (SNP).
The parents manage the feeding regimen based on a cycle of prepared meals made from local ingredients. Beneficiary children are weighed at the start of the feeding cycle and then every three months. After 120 days of feeding, the recipients’ nutritional status will be assessed for improvement and maintenance.
Also Read: How to Apply DSWD Travel Clearance for Minors
The Supplementary Feeding Program, part of the DSWD’s commitment to the government’s Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) program, offers food to children enrolled in Child Development Centers and Supervised Neighborhood Play in addition to their normal meals.
Children will be given hot snacks and meals during snack and lunch periods five days a week for 120 days.
Parents will run the feeding program following a cycle of prepared meals made from local foods. Beneficiary children will be weighed at the start of the feeding, three months later, and after 120 feeding days to verify nutritional improvement and maintenance.
Brief Background
The DSWD is implementing the President’s programs and projects aimed at addressing the issue of malnutrition. Through the implementation of the Supplementary Feeding Program, the agency can provide nutritious food to the needy.
The program provides nutritious food to children and vulnerable individuals through various food items, such as hot meals. It is carried out in five days and provides 120 days of regular care for children.
Volunteers from the community will oversee the feeding program, which is carried out using a cycle menu that includes indigenous food items. The children are weighed at the start of the program and every three months to determine their nutritional status.
Program Overview
In response to the national crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the President issued a series of proclamations in 2020. These proclamations declared a state of public health emergency in the Philippines.
The Bayanihan to Heal As One Act was enacted to help the government respond efficiently and effectively to the public health emergency. It directs all government agencies to implement coordinated interventions to address the various threats that can affect the vulnerable sectors of society.
In response to the public health emergency, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) issued a memorandum circular that stated that it would implement various social assistance programs and programs. These programs are aimed at addressing the needs of vulnerable individuals and communities.
The DSWD’s Supplementary Feeding Program aims to address the issue of food security and hunger among children in the country. It is also aimed at preventing them from experiencing a regression in their current nutritional status. To implement the program, the department has issued a new memorandum circular that provides guidelines for conducting the program during community quarantine periods.
Legal Bases of DSWD Supplementary Feeding Program
1. Republic Act No. 6972 otherwise known as the Barangay Total Development and Protection of Children Act, November 23, 1990 – Filipino children up to six years of age deserve the best care and attention at the family and community levels. Towards this end, there is hereby established a daycare center in every barangay with total development and protection of children program as provided in this Act instituted in every barangay daycare center.
2. Republic Act 9184 Government Procurement Reform Act otherwise known as An Act Providing for the Modernization, Standardization and Regulation of the Procurement Activities of the Government and for Other Purposes Section 41 (c) Reservation Clause:
Section 41. Reservation Clause The HOPE reserves the right to reject any and all bids, declare a failure of bidding, or not award the contract in the following situations:
a) If there is prima facie evidence of collusion between appropriate public officers or employees of the Procuring Entity, or between the BAC and any of the bidders, or if the collusion is between or among the bidders themselves, or between a bidder and a third party, including any act which restricts, suppresses or nullifies or tends to restrict, suppress or nullify competition;
b) If the BAC is found to have failed in following the prescribed bidding procedures; or
c) For any justifiable and reasonable ground where the award of the contract will not redound to the benefit of the GoP, as follows:
(i) if the physical and economic conditions have significantly changed so as to render the project no longer economically, financially, or technically feasible, as determined by the HoPE;
(ii) if the project is no longer necessary as determined by the HoPE; or
(iii) if the source of funds for the project has been withheld or reduced through no fault of the Procuring Entity.
3. RA 11321 otherwise known as “Sagip Saka Act”, Section 11- Direct Purchase by National and Local Government Agencies – shall directly purchase agricultural and fishery products from accredited farmers and fisherfolk cooperatives
4. Republic Act 11469 otherwise known as the “Bayanihan to Heal As One Act” Section 4 (v), Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, direct discontinuance of appropriated programs, projects or activities (P/A/P) of any agency of the Executive Department, including Government-Owned or – Controlled Corporations (GOCCs), in the FYs 2019 and 2020 General Appropriations Act (GAA), whether released or unreleased, the allotments for which remain unobligated, and utilize the savings generated from there to augment the allocation for any item directly related to support operations and response measures, which are necessary or beneficial to address the COVID-19 emergency, consistent with the herein declared national policy:
Provided, however, that the following items in the budget shall be prioritized for augmentation:
(8) under various Department of Social Welfare and Development programs, such as but not limited to Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS), distribution of food and non-food items, livelihood assistance grants, ans supplemental feeding program for day care children
5. Presidential Proclamation No. 922, Declaring A State of Public Health Emergency Throughout the Philippines;
6. Office of the President, Memorandum from the Executive Secretary dated 15 March 2020, Stringent Social Distancing Measures and Further Guidelines for the Management of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation;
7. Administrative Order No.04 Series of 2016, Amended Omnibus Guidelines in the Implementation of Supplementary Feeding Program
8. DOH AO 2010-0010 – Revised policy on Micronutrient Supplementation to Support Achievement of 2015 MDG Targets to Reduce Under-Five and Maternal Deaths and Address Micronutrient Needs of Other Population Groups, April 19, 2010- aims to ensure appropriate provision of MS, and provide guidance to health workers in administering MS to identified population groups and to encourage the adherence and support of DOH Offices, the private sector, and other stakeholders to the revised policy
9. DOH-AO 2015-0055 National Guidelines on the Management of Acute Malnutrition for Children under 5 years, December 18, 2015.
- the order generally aims to provide, policy, strategy and standards to health, nutrition, and social service providers, including government partners, civil society organizations, and donors involved in the effective and efficient implementation of the Philippine Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition;
10. Administrative Order No.07, Series of 2017: Amendments in the Administrative Order No.3 otherwise known as Supplemental Guidelines for the Twice a Day Feeding
- to widen the coverage and target beneficiaries of the twice-a-day feeding covering more LGUs which are outside the 36 identified provinces indicated in the previously approved supplemental guidelines and to reach indigenous people who need additional dietary supplementation.
11. Joint Memorandum Circular No.1, Series of 2020 of Government procurement Policy Board and Commission On Audit, Section 3.1 – Emergency Procurement by the Government During a State of Public Health Emergency Arising from the Corona Virus Disease (2019)
- to further support the government’s efforts to mitigate, if not contain the transmission of COVID-19 in the country, the GPPB issued Resolution Nos. 03-2020′ and 05-2020 to simplify and streamline the Rules on Negotiated Procurement (Emergency Cases) modality embodied in Section 53 (b) of RA 9184 and Section 53.2 of its 2016 IRR, as an exemption to Public Bidding under RA 9184
- and enable Procuring Entities to efficiently and expediently undertake procurement during a State of Public Health Emergency
12. Memorandum Circular No. 03 Series of 2019 Revised Procedures on the Implementation of the Supplementary Feeding Program based on Amended Administrative Order No.04 series of 2016
13. Section 53.12 of the Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act
- provides for negotiated procurement which involves Community Participation;
- Annex I, B. Termination for Convenience – The Procuring Entity may terminate the Contract, in whole or in part, at any time for its convenience. The Head of the Procuring Entity may terminate a contract for the convenience of the Government if he has determined the existence of conditions that make Project Implementation economically, financially or technically impractical and/or unnecessary, such as, but not limited to, fortuitous event(s) or changes in law and national government policies.
14. Other issuances of local government units relating to localized imposition of community quarantine.
Program Guidelines
1. The Field Offices may work with the EPAHP and LGU to implement the remaining feeding days as per the approved alternative modalities. These days will be implemented until the end of the current cycle or until the state of emergency is lifted.
Following the declaration of the public health emergency, the government agencies and local government units that collaborated with EPAHP on procuring goods and services can continue doing so.
2. Collaborating agencies or local government units can use the funds to procure goods and services. If the necessary resources are available, the funds can also be used for the next cycle.
The agencies or local government units collaborating with EPAHP can tap the services and goods of other organizations, such as the Sustainable Living Program Association of the Philippines (SLPAS).
To ensure that the program implementation is carried out properly, the local government units should coordinate with the partners and government agencies participating in the project. The local government units should handle the distribution of the food items to the intended beneficiaries.
3. In case funds are required to be transferred to the partners of EPAHP, such as the National Dairy Administration and the Philippine Council for Agriculture, the same should be in accordance with the regulations of the Commission on Audit.
Benefits of DSWD Supplementary Feeding Program
This DSWD program is practical and efficient. It not only provides the needy with food but also serves as a tool to improve their health and well-being. The program also helps prevent malnutrition among children, which is one of the main causes of child mortality in developing countries like the Philippines. Here are some of its benefits:
- Augmented support for the feeding program of children in LGU-managed Child Development Centers (CDC)/SNP areas using indigenous foods and/or locally produced foods equivalent to 1/3 of Recommended Energy and Nutrient Intake (RENI)
- Improved knowledge, attitude and practices of children, parents and caregivers through intensified nutrition and health education
- Improved and sustained nutritional status of the targeted children beneficiaries.
Target Beneficiaries
To ensure the efficiency and timely delivery of the program, the DSWD has identified certain age groups and qualified individuals as target beneficiaries. These are:
- 2-4 year-old children in Supervised Neighborhood Play;
- 4-year-old children enrolled in Child Development Centers; and
- 5-year-old children not enrolled in Child Development Centers, and;
- 5-12-year-old malnourished children outside the Child Development Centers.
These target groups are backed by the DSWD’s extensive list of children at risk for malnutrition, which includes: children below 5 years old with low weight for age; children between ages 1 and 4 who are in the bottom 20% of their age group in height-for-age; and children under 12 years old suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
The program is a critical response to the country’s alarming rates of child malnutrition. According to the National Nutrition Council, one in every four children in the Philippines is stunted due to chronic undernourishment. The DSWD also estimates that one million Filipino children suffer from severe acute malnutrition.
Video: DSWD’s Supplementary Feeding Program
In this video, you’ll learn more about the DSWD Supplementary Feeding Program. The DSWD’s Supplementary Feeding Program provides food to children in day care who are currently enrolled in the agency’s programs. These are part of the government’s efforts to provide early childhood education and development services.
The parents of the day care service group prepare a hot meal every day, which is usually composed of rice, fish, and vegetables. It is served to the children under the supervision of the day care workers and the city’s social welfare and development officers.
The day care workers prepare the meal by considering the various vegetables that the children prefer to eat. They then add them to the menu.
The children are weighed before they start the feeding program and every three months thereafter. After 120 days, their nutritional status will be improved.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is a Supplementary Feeding Program?
The goal of the supplementary feeding program is to provide nutritious food to children in day care centers.
2. How many children have been enrolled in the supplementary feeding program?
The DSWD said that over two million children were provided with food through its supplemental feeding program from July 2015 to July 2016.
3. How will the food supplementation program work?
Children will receive food supplements for a period of 120 days. These will be served in a variety of hot meals.
The program is carried out through a prepared meal plan that involves the use of indigenous food supplies. The children will be weighed at the beginning of the program and throughout the 120 days. After the program has concluded, the children will be assessed to determine their nutritional status.
Not only will this program fill stomachs in the short term, it will also provide valuable data on the nutritional status of children in conflict areas. This information will enable the government to develop long-term programs to help improve the health of children.
4. How old are kids in supervised neighborhood play?
2 to 4 year olds enrolled in Supervised Neighborhood Play; 3 to 4 year olds enrolled in Child Development Centers; and 5 year olds enrolled in Child Development Centers but not in DepEd preschool. These age groups are considered critical because they are the most vulnerable to physical and psychological damage.
For example, a child who is not properly fed or nourished may develop physical weakness and mental retardation. In addition, he or she may be prone to illness and susceptible to diseases such as diarrhea and pneumonia, which can be fatal if not treated properly.
5. How long is food supplementation?
Hot meals and dry rations are supplied at break/snack time in the morning or afternoon session for a minimum of five (5) and a maximum of seven (7) days for a total of 120 days. This provides supplement support for a children’s feeding program that uses indigenous foods and locally produced foods equal to one-third of the Recommended Energy and Nutrient Intake (RENI) to improve and maintain the nutritional status of the targeted young beneficiaries.
It also improves the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of children, parents, and caregivers through increased nutrition and health education. Beneficiary children are weighed at the start of the feeding cycle and then every three months. After 120 days of feeding, the recipients’ nutritional status will be assessed for improvement and maintenance.
6. What is the purpose of Barangay feeding programs?
A feeding program helps alleviate hunger and improve nutrition for children and families. It also supports healthy development of the individual and the family.
Summary
Through the efforts of the DSWD and LGU, more children in the community can be provided with the nutritious food that they need to grow. This will prevent malnutrition, which can lead to stunting and other health problems such as anemia and cognitive impairment. With this program in place, children can develop their full potential and enjoy a healthy childhood.
This program is especially crucial in communities that lack access to a proper diet, which makes them vulnerable to malnutrition. By providing food for these children, their chances of survival increase significantly. Children are the future of our community and the world; we must do everything in our power to ensure that they get a healthy start in life. We hope that you’ve learned a lot from this article and that it has helped you understand the importance of the program.
The next time you see a child suffering from malnutrition, remember that there are ways to help him or her get back on track. Feel free to coordinate with the DSWD or your local government unit to get involved in their programs.
You can also make donations of food or money to organizations that are helping children affected by malnutrition. And finally, share this article with your friends and family, so they know about the importance of the program as well! You can also make donations of food or money to organizations that are helping children affected by malnutrition.
And finally, share this article with your friends and family so they know about the importance of the program as well!