Feeding program at NES
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NAYON Elementary School supports DepEd programs on the implementation of the School-Based Feeding Program every school year. For the past few years, NES follows the guidelines on the implementation by maintaining its commitment to provide good nutrition to their pupils. It started from kinder to grade one up to grade six. Teacher- in-charge of the program make sure to identify and check each pupil in every section. Reports are made every now and then to make sure of the records of severe-wasted and wasted pupils. Every month, feeding program is given. Menu of the food to be given is thoroughly examined. After three to six months, pupils are weighed and checked again if progress or improvements have been made. Their “GulayansaPaaralan” supports feeding program by providing fruit and vegetable products taken from the garden.
This school year 2020- 2021, everything has changed due to COVID-19 pandemic. There is no face to face classes, so feeding program stops for a while. But not for long. DepEd pursue the feeding program as stated in DepEd Order 023, s. 2020. As stated in paragraph number 2, “In consideration of the changes brought about by the pandemic as to how learning will be delivered for SY 2020- 2021, the implementation of the School Based Feeding Program (SBFP) shall be modified, putting utmost importance to the welfare, safety and health of learners and personnel involved, while also ensuring the attainment of the program objectives. The SBFP shall be implemented in line with the Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan (BE-LCP) and in strict compliance with the DepEd’s required health standards.”
NES received food packs from the Division of Negros Occidental with proper health protocol and observance of Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) provisions. Teachers are giving the food packs and fresh milkto identified wasted and severely wasted pupilsevery week. Teachers also orient the parents involve to take care of their children. They should not just depend on the food packs given, but they will give proper nutrition and care to their children.
QUEZON City – Philippines has achieved its all- time high rice production of 19.3 million metric tons in 2020, and as reported by the Department of Agriculture- Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice), it already achieved 100 percent seed deliveries for the dry season.
T h r o u g h t h e R i c e Competitiveness Enhancement Fund ( RCEF)- Seed program, 1.7 million bags of high-quality inbred rice seeds were delivered to 957 municipalities from the target 55 provinces all over the country as of Feb. 7.
More than half a million farmers-beneficiaries received 1.5 million bags or 87 percent of the distributed bags. In coordination with partner local government units (LGUs), DA- PhilRice continuously distributes the remaining seeds until end of February.
For her part, Sen. Cynthia Villar, Senate Committee on Agriculture chairperson, commended PhilRice f or achieving its target.
“I congratulate DA-PhilRice for achieving its targets despite the threat and the limitations that the current pandemic has brought us,” Villar said during the recent annual review of the RCEF Seed and Extension Programs.
PhilRice also presented the pilot-testing of Binhi e-Padala that incorporated the use of digital voucher on seed distribution, making it more efficient for the farmers to receive high-quality inbred seeds without the long queues.
Agriculture chief William Dar, meanwhile, encouraged PhilRice to continue strengthening ties with LGUs so that partners will be more motivated in taking their part on national programs.
“We have to be strategic, inclusive, and collective, so that partners like LGUs will do their share because they are the leaders in their respective units. Our direction is working towards a province- led agriculture, fishery, and extension system,” he said.
Dar further emphasized the holistic approach of the department called ONE- DA that aims to pursue inclusive approach to accelerate the transformation towards a modern and industrialized Philippine agriculture.
“All strategies are being mobilized to make it possible that we take with us our rice farmers in our journey for development. We really want our farmers to improve their yield while lowering their production cost,” he added.
Part of the plans of PhilRice is aligned to t he i nclusive approach of DA.
“Among our ways forward this year is the intensified partnership with DA Regional Field Offices, LGUs, and other stakeholders,” said Dr. Flordeliza Bordey, RCEF- Seed Program director and PhilRice deputy executive director.
The distribution of seeds to rice farmers is a component of RCEF under t he Rice Tariffication Law.(