Manila: President Rodrigo Duterte has signed a law mandating the government to provide free meals to students as well as provide health-based programme to improve and maintain their well-being.
Duterte signed the National School Feeding Programme (Republic Act 11037) to address the problem of undernutrition among Filipino children, particularly those in daycare centres, kindergarten, and elementary level.
Although past administrations, particularly during former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s leadership, had the so-called Supplemental Feeding Programme, what makes the current school nourishment scheme different is that it provides a mechanism to make the scheme sustainable.
“This new law will institutionalise a national feeding programme for undernourished Filipino children in public schools,” the presidential palace said.
Under the new law, the government shall provide supplemental feeding to public school children in daycare centres and kindergartens to up to sixth graders, a milk-feeding programme, a micronutrient feeding programme, health examinations, vaccinations, and deworming among others.
To sustain the programme, the government is mandated to allot a space in the schools where the school and students can plant vegetables.
Experts have noted that the lack of nutrition results in students with poor aptitude aside from laggard overall health and well-being.
Senator Bam Aquino, the principal sponsor of the measure in the Senate, said the new law likewise aims to provide additional livelihood to local farmers.
He said dairy farmers would supply the needed supplies, such as milk for the feeding programme.
“Aside from responding to the problem on malnutrition, our farmers stand to benefit from this programme through the milk they would sell to the schools,” he said.
Representative Raul del Mar, 1st District, Cebu City, a principal author of the measure that came into law, said the National School Feeding Programme is expected to benefit millions of public school children as they would be provided with free breakfast among others.
“Children going to school with practically no breakfast from home cannot be expected to absorb their lessons in school while suffering from hunger pangs,” Del Mar said.
He said that there had been efforts in the past to provide public school pupils with free meals to entice them to go to school and for their parents to allow them to get education, but these programmes were largely unsustainable because of lack of funds.
Under the National School Feeding Programme law, the school feeding scheme will be institutionalised with the government annually allotting budget for the project.
“It is state policy to promote the rights of children to survival, development and special protection with full recognition on the nature of childhood and its special needs,” the new law states.
According to Del Mar, a large segment of pupils in public schools come from poor families. Those that are very poor often suffer from undernourishment and malnourishments. This affects their capacity to attain and maintain academic performance.
“House Bill 5269 declares it is the state policy to promote the rights of children to survival, development and special protection with full recognition on the nature of childhood and its special needs,” the measure notes.
