The Department of Social Welfare and Development in the Davao Region (DSWD-11) is targeting 89,879 children for its supplementary feeding program (SFP) this year, starting July 14, an official said Monday.

Now in its 15th cycle, Larraine Villaver, the DSWD-11’s SFP unit head, said they will serve children aged 3–4 years enrolled in various child development centers (CDCs), 2-4 in supervised neighborhood playgroups, and 5-year-olds who are not enrolled in the Department of Education (DepEd).

“Not only the undernourished children but also children with normal nutrition status will be fed within 120 feeding days,” she said during a press briefing here.

Last year, she noted that 122,400 children benefited from the SFP in the region.

“We are providing them with hot meals and alternative meals,” Villaver said, referring to the SFP beneficiaries.

For the hot meals, she said viand and rice are served, making sure that the food given to the children contains the “go, grow, and glow” nutrients.

“We also have alternative meals like the nutribun,” she added.

Villaver stated that the SFP aims to maintain children’s nutritional status by providing augmentation support with indigenous or local foods and enhancing parents’ and caregivers’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices through nutrition education and ENPES (Enhanced Parent Effectiveness Session).

For this year’s implementation, the budget per child is PHP 25 per meal intended for rice and viand, covering 120 feeding days. (PNA)