DepEd defends multi-million fortified noodles project

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Education (DepEd) assured the people that the noodles they served to schoolchildren in public schools in poor provinces last year were nutritious and fortified with vitamins and minerals.

Education Undersecretary Teodosio Sanguil Jr. said the selection of the contractor who supplied the fortified noodles was done after a fair and transparent bidding process that followed government procurement laws.

Sanguil said that the nutritional content of the noodles had been certified by SGS Philippines, Inc., a Bureau of Food and Drugs-accredited laboratory and a member of Societe Generale de Surveillance, an international company that provides inspection, verification, testing and certification services.

The SGS results were validated by BFAD.

Sanguil also clarified that the fortified noodles cost P17.86 for a 100-gram pack, which was good for two servings.

A private supplier, Kolonwel Trading, had questioned the DepEd’s procurement of P284-million worth of fortified noodles from Jeverps Manufacturing Corp., saying the noodles did not have the claimed vitamins and minerals and that the noodles were overpriced.

Kolonwel Trading noted that the cost of commercial noodles ranged from P8 to P9. With the P17.86 cost of the fortified noodles, it was charged that the DepEd noodles were overpriced.

“That is good for two servings and thus, the cost per serving is equivalent to P8.93,” Sanguil pointed out.

The feeding program using fortified instant noodles was undertaken by DepEd as part of a two-pronged strategy to address the malnutrition of public school children and at the same time encourage children to attend school.

The fortified instant noodles were provided daily to pre-school and grade one pupils for 104 feeding days this year. This represents a 30 percent increase from the previous years’ 80 days of feeding children in schools.

Sanguil stressed that it was unfair to compare commercial noodles, which can be bought at any neighborhood store, and the procured noodles, which are especially formulated to meet the nutritional needs of the learners.

He pointed out that the noodles for the feeding program were delivered directly to the beneficiaries. The cost for freight and handling to the DepEd district offices and overhead cost must also be considered.

The school beneficiaries are mostly located in island municipalities and food-poor provinces in Visayas and Mindanao.