DSWD to start feeding program in Davao madrasahs

MANILA, Philippines - Some 1,500 Muslim children enrolled in various madrasah schools in Davao City are targeted to benefit from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)’s implementation of a supplementary feeding program (SFP) for Sajahatra Bangsamoro, President Aquino’s socio-economic peace initiative.

The SFP will initially feed 550 children aged 5 to 12 years in 11 madrasahs, which are Muslim private schools with core emphasis on Islamic studies and Arabic literacy.

The project is being done in coordination with the Davao City government.

DSWD will ramp up the coverage of the program once it receives the master list from field workers. This second round of ramped up school feeding will cover 950 children to complete the 1,500 target.

For the initial feeding of 550 children, DSWD has allotted P910,250 for food and dining and cooking utensils, including 6,600 kilograms of iron-fortified rice.

The SFP is a program which provides food to children daily in addition to their regular meals. It is an augmentation support to the feeding program of the local government unit and it uses indigenous food or locally processed food equivalent to one-third of the recommended energy and nutrient intakes (RENIs).

The program aims to enhance knowledge, attitude, practices of children, parents and caregivers through intensified nutrition and health education. It also improves and sustains the nutritional status of the child beneficiaries.

Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman said the SFP also contributes to peace efforts. 

“The program concretizes the socio-economic peace initiative in partnership with the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front,” Soliman said.