The City on Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) continues to serve undernourished children through the implementation of the Supplemental Feeding Program in daycare centers.
Ellen Bugnos, the focal person of the CSWDO’s Supplemental Feeding Program, said the initiative is vital to improving the nutritional status of children enrolled in daycare centers all over the city.
“Nindot jud sya nga programa kay kung ang bata gigutom gikan sa ilang balay, makakaon jud sya sigurado, pag-abot sa daycare center. Unya pag-uli niya, pwede pa jud sya makakaon kung naa pa’y mga pagkaon (The program is really great because if a child is hungry, he can surely eat something when he arrives at the day care center. And when he comes home, he can also eat if there are still food),” Bugnos said in an interview over the city-owned Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR).
One cycle of the program has a total of 120 feeding days.
The ongoing cycle has less than three weeks before it is completed. Bugnos, however, said they have already seen a significant improvement among the children, bringing down to 64, from 147, the number of severely underweight children, and from 869 underweight children to 800.
The children are served with meals consisting of rice and viand. For this cycle, the children are fed rice, tinolang manok with sayote, vegetable patty, sweet and sour bola-bola, bihon guisado, monggo guisado, and chicken afritada.
The children are also served spaghetti with carrots, banana pancake, nutribun, and champorado with milk as merienda.
Bugnos, however, reminded parents that the program is intended to give additional food to the children.
“Mao gyud ni amoang gina-emphasize, additional gyud ni siya nga pagkaon sa bata. Dapat dili mawala to’ng normal niya nga naa’y breakfast, lunch, naa’y dinner. Dapat naa jud to’ng meal sa bata para mas paspas iyang growth and development (We emphasize that this is only an additional food for a child. They should still have to eat their breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There should be a proper meal for the fast growth and development of the child),” she said.
Parents also look forward to the feeding program.
“Actually, ganahan ang mga parents og naa’y feeding, kay di na gyud sila maghatag og balon sa ilahang mga anak. Bisan tuod si parent kay mag-gahin jud siya og panahon para magluto, mag-prepare. Naga-look forward sila nga naay feeding program gyud (Parents like the feeding program as they no longer prepare food for their children. They no longer spend time to cook, prepare food. They look forward to the feeding program),” she said. CIO
