School-based feeding program aims to eradicate
malnutrition among students, says Palace
Malacanang said the government has appropriated
an over 1 billion-peso program aimed at eradicating malnutrition among school
children, Malacanang said Sunday.
Presidential Communication Operations Office
Herminio Coloma, Jr., told reporters in a press briefing aired over radio
station dzRB Radyo ng Bayan this is a school-based feeding program.
He said the lead agency for this program is the
National Nutrition Council which is under the Department of Health in
partnership with the Department of Agriculture, Department of Science and
Technology, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Interior and Local
Government and the Commission on Higher Education.
“Pinapatupad po ‘yon (program) sa loob ng 120
araw at pagkatapos ng pag-release ng standardized malunggay recipe, at meron po
silang tinatawag na 20-day cycle menu, at ang nationwide implementation ay
pinopondohan ng General Appropriations Act. Ang pangkalahatang budget para
diyan ay isang bilyon walumpung milyong piso (P1,080,000,000),” Coloma explained.
Under this program school canteens were given
guidelines on how to provide proper nutrition to school children. This included
not serving junk foods and only giving nutrition-rich foods such as fruits and
vegetables.
Coloma added that this is apart from the
supplementary feeding program being implemented by the Department of Social
Welfare and Development and separate from feeding programs of the Local
Government Units in partnership with private groups and corporations.
“Ang mga programa pong ito ay naglalayon na
ibalik sa normal na kalagayang pang-nutrisyon ang ating mga kabataang
mag-aaral,” Coloma said. PND (ag)
Philippine-Vietnam Friendship Games in Spratlys
The Philippine-Vietnam Friendship Games in
Spratlys kick off Sunday, with combined Filipino and Vietnamese troops playing
side-by-side, said Malacanang.
Presidential Communication Operations Office
Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr., said “sila ay hindi naman maglalaban sa isa’t
isa sa idaraos na mga palaro na kung saan magkakasama ang mga Pilipino at
Vietnamese sa mga pangkat na maglalaro. Hindi ito Philippines versus Vietnam.
Joint teams po ang lalahok sa palaro para mas maging mainam ang kanilang
pakikipag-kaibigan.”
Filipino and Vietnamese troops will compete in
football, volleyball and tug-of-war matches.
They will be playing at the Vietnamese occupied
island of Pugad (Southwest Cay).
“Ginawa po ang inisyatibang ito para maitaguyod
ang pakikipagkaibigan at mainam na pagtutulungan ng mga Pilipino at ng mga
Vietnamese na naatasang magbantay sa mga lugar na ‘yan,” Coloma added. PND (ag)
