More than 1.5 million children nationwide have benefited from the Supplementary Feeding Program (SFP) implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for the school year 2023 to 2024, an agency official said on Monday, 6 May.

Assistant Secretary for Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) Irene Dumlao said that as of 30 March, the DSWD has served 1,526,261 children enrolled in Child Development Centers (CDCs) and 33,198 children under the Supervised Neighborhood Play (SNP) in 1,169 implementing local government units (LGUs).

"As mandated by the Marcos administration, through the recently signed Memorandum Circular No. 47 which calls for the intensified support for the government's anti-hunger efforts, the DSWD will continue its collaboration with national agencies, LGUs, and development partners to strengthen our feeding program," Assistant Secretary Dumlao, who is also the DSWD spokesperson, pointed out.

Dumlao said the SFP is one of the DSWD's anti-hunger initiatives and the agency's contribution to the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) program of the government and Republic Act No. 11037 or the Masustansyang Pagkain para sa Batang Pilipino Act.

"We are continuously monitoring and fast-tracking the implementation of the program before the school year ends, in partnership with the LGUs," the DSWD spokesperson said.

The SFP provides food to children aged 3-5 years who are currently enrolled in CDCs and children aged 2-4 years in SNP using indigenous or locally-produced food equivalent to 1/3 of the Recommended Energy and Nutrient Intake (RENI).

The program also aims to improve the knowledge, attitude, and practice of children, parents, and caregivers through intensified nutrition and health education; and sustain the children's nutritional status.

As chair of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Zero Hunger (IATF-ZH), the DSWD will continue to prioritize programs that ensure food security to bolster government efforts toward attaining zero hunger in the country.