SCHOOL-BASED FEEDING PROGRAM (SBFP) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018

The Department of Education (DepEd), through the Bureau of Learner Support Services-School Health Division, shall implement the School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP) for Fiscal Year 2018, in accordance with the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for the current year and will cover all identified target beneficiaries.

This aims to contribute to the improvement of classroom attendance and school performance of target beneficiaries to more than 85% per year, and encourage learners to go to school every day.

For Fiscal Year 2018, the SBFP covers all undernourished learners from Kindergarten to Grade 6. The program shall also cover all Kindergarten learners in the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) priority areas to address stunting. Actual target beneficiaries shall be based on the Baseline (June-July) nutritional assessment of the current school year.

The SBFP provides feeding to learners, prioritizing the Severely Wasted (SW) and Wasted (W), and all Kinder in selected Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) areas.

It also improves the nutritional status of the SW/W and all Kinder (PPAN areas) learners at the end of at least 120 feeding days and ensures 100% deworming of target beneficiaries prior to the feeding activity.

Also part of the program is the conduct of group daily hand washing and tooth brushing activities as stipulated in DepEd Order No. 10, s. 2016, to impart development of positive health promoting values and behaviors.

It also promotes health and nutrition information and awareness among target beneficiaries through the K to 12 Curriculum and its alternative modalities of education; and encourages Gulayan sa Paaralan Program (GPP) and backyard vegetable gardening to augment the feeding program and to complement the nutrition and poverty-reduction initiatives of the Government.

DepEd Order No. 39, s. 2017 entitled Operational Guidelines on the Implementation of the School-Based Feeding Program shall also be used as reference in the implementation of the program.

Under the General Appropriations Act (GAA) FY 2018, Sec. 18 of the DepEd Special Provisions states that – In the implementation of the SchoolBased Feeding Program (SBFP), ingredients for the provision of food commodities shall be sourced locally. Public schools, whenever applicable, shall endeavor to procure these ingredients from any of the following local sources:

The school’s vegetable garden established under the Gulayan sa Paaralan Program (GPP); Home and communal gardens established by the families of SBFP beneficiaries; and local farmers especially those identified by the DSWD to be living in poverty under the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR).

--oOo-The author is Teacher III at San Agustin Elementary School, Lubao North District