The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will soon be implementing the “Masustansyang Pagkain para sa Batang Pilipino Act” through a national feeding program in order to eradicate the under nourished cases among children in the country.
The Masustansyang Pagkain para sa Batang Pilipino Act or the Republic Act No. 11037 that was signed into a law by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on June 20, 2018, mandates the DSWD to implement the Supplementary Feeding Program for undernourished day care children who are from three to five years old. The daycare children will be provided with at least one fortified meal for a period of not less than 120 days in a year.
This will be done by the Department in coordination with concerned local government units (LGUs), in collaboration with recognized parents’ organizations.
The Department of Education (DepEd), on the other hand, will implement the School-Based Feeding Program which provides similar meal plan for undernourished public school children from kindergarten to grade six.
DSWD Secretary Virginia N. Orogo said, “The passage of RA 11037 which is part of President Duterte’s directive to focus on proper development of children as they are the nation’s future will ensure that Filipino children will grow up healthy.”
Other salient features of the law
In addition to the meals to be provided, the DSWD and DepED are mandated to coordinate with the Department of Agriculture (DA), National Dairy Authority (NDA), the Philippine Carabao Center and the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) for the incorporation of fresh milk and fresh milk-based food products in the fortified meals.
Both agencies will also have to provide micronutrient supplements to the program beneficiaries including the use of iodized salt, as well as coordinate with the Department of Health (DOH) and concerned LGUs to conduct simultaneous health examinations to include deworming and vaccinations.
The agencies are also tasked to encourage their respective component units to devote a portion of their land or space for the cultivation of vegetables and other nutrient-rich plants as identified by the National Nutrition Council (NNC).
Drafting of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR)
With the law newly enacted, the priority is to draft the Implementing Rules and Regulations within 90 days of its passage to establish the operationalization of all its provisions.
“As indicated in the law, the Department in partnership with DepEd needs to consult with NNC, DOH, DA, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), and civil society organizations for the formulation of the IRR. The IRR will be our priority next step toward our goal to have healthy Filipino children,” Sec. Orogo concluded. # Source – www.dswd.gov.ph
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