FOOD AND EDUCATION: THE REAL CRISIS

“Investing in early childhood nutrition is a surefire strategy. The returns are incredibly
high”- ANNE M. MULCAHY

Humans can all relate to how challenging it is to try to concentrate on academics while
dealing with hunger-related headaches and hunger pangs. Many disadvantaged families also have
full minds but empty stomachs. You may see the relationship between hunger and seeking
information. If you're hungry, you could be both physically and intellectually hungry. We are
still battling the starvation epidemic as of right now.
According to data gathered from PSA, the number of deaths attributable to malnutrition
has not yet surpassed 4,000 until 2021. According to data, this is the greatest number since 2,276
Filipinos died from starvation in 2006. (businessmirror.com). Only the danger of the highest rate
of mortality from malnutrition in 2021 was highlighted in this scenario. Some employees'
increased health issues are a result of their income loss. In particular, more nutrient-dense foods
like fruits, meat, and supplemental foods were out of reach for families whose parents had lost
their jobs.
Schools were needed to close in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, and the
government's stability program and food program were also forced to limit its program. It
indicates that the regular feeding program provided to undernourished students was limited
Malnourished children are no longer frequently served by the government's feeding program due
to COVID 19 pandemic for one year. It has resumed when it implemented the distance learning
modality. As a result, each family member's malnutrition increases along with the family's level
of poverty. The family's nutritional demands, particularly those of the young children who are
just starting to eat between the ages of 5 months and 5, which is the most important growth
period for children, cannot be met due to a lack of financial stability.
There is a remarkable effect of malnutrition to students’ performance in school like:
1. it increases the absenteeism of the student when they get sick. When a child is lacking
a nutrient-rich meal during their growing years their body won't have enough immunity
to battle the illnesses. They won't be able to regularly attend classes, which will cause
their enthusiasm in learning to decrease.
2. Inattentiveness Lack of a healthy meal before entering the classroom will cause
students' attention to wander and prevent them from paying closer attention to the lesson
being delivered to them. While they may be staring at you, their minds are probably
blank; all they can hear is what is happening inside their stomachs.
3. Lack of Motivation and Energy. The motivational aspect of the student is being
affected if they don’t have a sufficient nutrition on their body. Eating foods like
wholegrain bread, pasta and rice, are better for us because they release energy slowly and
help the brain to function in stable way.
What are the programs of the government in partnership with the Department of
Education to curb this malnutrition?
Among the government initiatives on nutrition in partnership with other agencies
includes
1. School-based Feeding Program (SBFP)- This is expressly required by DepEd Order
number 54 series of 2013, which contains the instructions for carrying out this
program. The fundamental goal of SBFP is to help students receive more nutrients by
daily feeding for the intended continuous 120 feeding days, which will enhance their
nutritional status. Similar to this, SBFP's active implementation simultaneously
makes it possible for millions of students to attend class on a regular basis.

2. Gulayan Sa Paaralan- This was issued and implemented through the memorandum
293,s.2007 to support the hunger mitigation initiatives of the government. Gulayan sa
Paaralan continued to operate during the pandemic despite the absence of the
students; maintaining this program helps to maintain the needs to support the
nutritional program with its main objective to promote food security to schools and
communities with its advantageous effects on both parties' health.

3. Wellness Program- By signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with

Nestle Philippines, the Department of Education hopes to strengthen its advocacy for
raising parents' and students' awareness of the importance of leading healthy lives.
This will benefit the public schools by supplying them with milk and other healthy
drinks. Lack of wellness programs can affect the lives of the teachers and the learners.
It has an impact on the academic performance of the learners because the teachers
could not give their best in the teaching learning process.

4. Backyard Gardening- This activity is part of the school's efforts to persuade parents
of children to continue the school's planting initiative in their own backyards. Like
their children, they must be aware of the need of planting various types of vegetables
to promote a healthy lifestyle and that they will continue to support the school's
initiative to fight malnutrition.

5. Yearly celebration of nutrition month. We also celebrate yearly in the month of

July the Nutrition month with different theme. This campaign is a big event every
year in school where health awareness is the main advocacy of this program.

We all know that the government and the department of education are constantly
working together and forming partnerships with other private companies to support
their advocacy so that parents, teachers, and students will all be involved in finding a
solution to the problem of the pandemic's rapid increase in malnutrition this year.
To every one of us, this duty might not be simple. However, in the next years, we will
continue to support one another by actively participating in ensuring that all of our
government's attempts to end malnutrition in our nation are successful. We must
focus on what our kids' bodies need in addition to their brain knowledge in order to
help them retain it.

Our children's dreams must not be hindered by poverty, and as educators, we can do
something to provide them not only hope but also food that the school can provide for
free. Giving them food and educating them on what to eat will help them have the
successful future they deserve.