MANILA: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Monday (June 16) announced that the expanded school-based feeding programme will begin in July.
He said this in a press statement after inspecting the conduct of the first day of classes at Epifanio delos Santos Elementary School in Manila.
“The feeding programme will also start next month,” Marcos said.
“That’s why we expanded it. We expanded the feeding programme before to reach more children,” he noted.
The expanded feeding programmr will provide free meals to students for the entire academic calendar for the first time.
Last March, Marcos urged local chief executives to resolve the problem of malnutrition in their jurisdictions in a bid to break the cycle of “inter-generational malnutrition.”
“It is essential that adequate health and nutrition interventions are integrated into the annual investment plan of each local government unit,” he said in his speech at the National Nutrition Awarding Ceremony in Quezon City.
“Investing in human capital is the key to securing our nation’s future,” he pointed out.
“Therefore, let us intensify our commitment to breaking the cycle of inter-generational malnutrition by looking after the welfare of our people, especially pregnant women, mothers and their children,” the president added.
Marcos also cited a study conducted by the Second Congressional Commission on Education.
The study revealed that malnourished children in the country are two to three years behind their curriculum expectations by the time they reach third grade. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
