Food for School Program benefits 5,905 Leyte grade I pupils this summer

By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
April 5, 2007

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte  –  President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s Food For School Program continues to benefit 5,905 Grade I pupils in Leyte, even during this summer vacation.

This was learned from Leyte National Food Authority Manager Francisca T. Mercado who said that the Leyte Provincial Office of the National Food Authority has started delivering on March 27, summer stock allocations to the schools involved in the Food For School Program.

The additional allocation is for Grade I beneficiaries 175 schools in nine municipalities of Leyte namely: Tolosa, Tabon-Tabon, LaPaz, Mahaplag, MacArthur, Sta. Fe, Pastrana, Tunga and San Miguel.

The Summer Food for School Program in the province of Leyte alone, will entail 1,771.5 bags of rice fortified with iron and a total amount of P1,771,500.00.

Manager Mercado said that in line with the government's thrust to achieve quality education and in consonance with the Millennium Development Goals, among which is to achieve universal primary education, ensure that all boys and girls complete a full course of primary schooling, the Department of Education (DepEd) and the National Food Authority (NFA) are jointly implementing the Food for School program.

As envisioned by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the Food for School addresses the malnutrition and hunger problems. It also improves the children's participation in school, like academic performance, enhance study habits and attendance in classes.

The Food for School Program of the government continues even during the summer vacation in response to the increasing percentage of families experiencing hunger, as indicated by the Social Weather Survey on hunger and poverty.

Anti-Hunger Task Force head and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, said President Arroyo has ordered the resumption of the program which involves the distribution of a kilo of rice to school children to bring home to their families.

In his statement sometime ago, Duque said the distribution of the rice will be made through school principals and Church leaders during the months of March to May when children are on vacation from school.

Duque further said the Department of Education will require principals to be on duty during these months, adding that politicians will not be involved in the distribution.

Duque also said the Food-for-school program can be expanded to involve the distribution of cooked noodle soups and milk supplements to school children, if more funds are allocated for it.