SEPT.

11, 2013

NR # 3223B

Free breakfast program for public schools pushed

A lawmaker is seeking to institutionalize the free breakfast program of the Department of Education (DepEd) for day care centers, preschool and elementary school children in all public schools nationwide. Rep. Raul Del Mar (1st District, Cebu City) filed House Bill 364, which makes as part of public education system a free breakfast program that consists of fortified instant noodles, iron-fortified rice or fortified biscuits to address hunger and malnutrition among public school children. Del Mar said the program was implemented in the past but only for a limited period and in select public schools classified as low performing or public schools with high prevalence of malnutrition. The program provided under the bill shall cover all public schools nationwide, according to Del Mar. It shall be implemented in all public schools throughout the country since almost all school children enrolled therein come from poor families and suffer from undernourishment and malnourishment, which affect their capacity to attain and maintain average academic performance, Del Mar said. These children coming to school with practically no breakfast from home cannot be expected to absorb their lessons in school while suffering hunger pangs, Del Mar added. Del Mar said as a form of immediate intervention to address hunger among school children, the education department and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) give food subsidy to young learners in DepEd-supervised public day care centers, preschools and elementary schools. The school children get one kilo of rice each as long as they go to school every day, Del Mar said. There is an urgent need to fine-tune this program of the DepEd and enhance the same by providing a free breakfast program not only to day care centers and preschools but also in all public elementary schools in the country, Del Mar said. The bill mandates the DepEd to consult with the Parents Teachers Association in designing the free breakfast program, the funding for which shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act. (30) mrs