11T schoolchildren benefit from CCNC feeding program

CEBU, Philippines - Some 11, 415 day care and elementary school children have benefited from the feeding program of the Cebu City Nutrition Council.

Nutritionist Emma Seville said the government paid P17 million a year for the program which is supported by the Department of Social Welfare and development and the Accelerated Social Amelioration Program. 

Seville said the program caters to underweight and underprivileged pupils in the city. She, however, admitted that the city government has not covered all day care and elementary pupils in the city because the government would need about P100 million a year.

Seville appealed to the members of the City Council during a public hearing yesterday to support the proposed measures to provide free nutritious meals in all day care centers and public elementary schools in the city.

Seville was accompanied by representatives of the Cebu City Parents and Teachers Association, Local School Board, and Department of Education-7 during the public hearing.

The groups expressed support to the proposal of Councilor Gerardo Carillo to provide pupils with free meals.

Carillo, chairperson of the committee on social services, said the proposed measure seeks to “address the perennial problem of the underprivileged” that could not afford to provide nutritious meals for the children.

Carillo said that the program will cover the 160 day care centers with a total number of 10, 687 students, 88 home-based students, 15 Muslims, and 68 elementary public schools in the city.

The PTA promised to give what it could offer for the benefit of the children.

While the CCNC suggested that only the underweight should be catered by the program since the city government could not spend enough which is good for the total number of students in the city.

Sevilla said that the feeding program of the DSWD would conclude by the end of 2016, so there’s a need for the city government to continue the program possibly through the implementation of Carillo’s proposed measure.— (FREEMAN)