Philippine House Approves Bill to Expand School Feeding Program
House OKs on 2nd reading bill expanding school feeding program
Image: Inquirer
The House of Representatives in the Philippines has approved on second reading House Bill No. 9466, which aims to expand the school-based feeding program to include all public school learners from Kindergarten to Grade 3 and undernourished students from Grade 4 to 12. The bill also proposes increasing feeding days from 120 to 200 annually.
- 01House Bill No. 9466 seeks to amend the 'Masustansyang Pagkain Para sa Batang Pilipino Act' to broaden the scope of the school feeding program.
- 02The program will cover nutritionally-at-risk pregnant learners, children with disabilities, and indigenous learners.
- 03The proposed increase in feeding days aims to address hunger and undernutrition, which hinder learning and development.
- 04The Department of Education (DepEd) has faced challenges regarding the logistics and capacity to implement the expanded program.
- 05Local government units (LGUs) may be involved in the rollout of the feeding program to enhance efficiency.
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The House of Representatives in the Philippines has passed House Bill No. 9466, which seeks to expand the school-based feeding program (SBFP) to include all public school students from Kindergarten to Grade 3, along with undernourished pupils from Grade 4 to 12. The bill, approved through voice voting, also proposes to increase the number of feeding days from 120 to 200 annually. Authored by several lawmakers, including House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III, the initiative aims to address the pressing issues of hunger and undernutrition among Filipino children, which significantly impact their learning and development. House committee on education chairperson Roman Romulo emphasized the need for a comprehensive approach to nutrition that goes beyond mere caloric intake to include micronutrient deficiencies and child development. Despite the support for the expanded program, challenges related to logistics and the absorptive capacity of the Department of Education (DepEd) were raised, with suggestions for local government units to assist in implementation. The bill represents a significant step towards improving the nutritional status of millions of students in the Philippines.
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The expansion of the school feeding program is expected to enhance the nutritional status of millions of students, potentially improving their academic performance and overall well-being.
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