More funds, longer period sought for milk-feeding program
MANILA, Philippines-The National Federation of Dairy Farmers and Stakeholders Association (Dairy NatFed) is seeking a higher budget and an extended milk feeding program to provide a guaranteed market for local farmers while improving the nutrition of Filipino schoolchildren.
In a statement on Wednesday, Dairy NatFed president Danilo Fausto said extending the duration of the school-based milk feeding program would require more funds.
“The extension of the milk feeding program duration would provide local dairy farmers with a guaranteed market that would lead to higher income while addressing the nutritional needs of Filipino school children,” said Fausto, also president of the Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc.
He cited the National Nutrition Council (NNC), an attached agency of the Department of Health, as saying
that a feeding duration of 90 to 120 days is crucial in achieving notable improvements in child nutrition.
Article continues after this advertisementIn a letter dated Jan. 7, Fausto told Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara that the NNC Governing Board, which includes DepEd, made this recommendation.
Article continues after this advertisement“Therefore, if DepEd is implementing a 120-day feeding program with hot meals, it is imperative that milk is provided consistently throughout this period. Milk should not be left behind in the program,” he said.
He also noted that the DepEd extended the provision of hot meals to beneficiaries to 220 days last year.
Fausto said the group’s proposal would help address global findings that identify Filipino students as among the lowest in terms of creative thinking.
The Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) exam results in 2022 showed that the Philippines had a score of 14 out of 60 in creative thinking, lower than the average of 33 points.
The country likewise ranked sixth from the last in mathematics with an average score of 355, third from last in science (average score of 356) and sixth from last in reading (average score of 347).
“We believe that this initiative aligns with your vision of creating an inclusive and progressive educational system that nurtures every Filipino child to their full potential,” Fausto said.
Currently, the milk feeding program provides hot meals to public school students for 120 days while milk is only given for 55 days in a school year.
For this year, the DepEd has a budget of P11.776 billion for its school-based feeding program.
Under the Masustansyang Pagkain para sa Batang Pilipino Act, the DepEd is mandated to provide at least one fortified meal to all undernourished public elementary school students for at least 120 days each year.
The same law mandates that fresh milk and fresh milk-based food products must be incorporated into the fortified meals and cycle menu.