The Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Supplementary Feeding Program (SFP) has so far served more than one million children.
The DSWD said it in the 11th cycle of the SFP implementation.
“As of October 31, more than one million children or 56 percent of the total target for the cycle were provided with nutritious foods,” it said in a statement on Wednesday, Dec. 1.
"Likewise, for the current school year, milk feeding program targets to serve over 100,000 children across the country. This will open an opportunity for dairy farmers as the SFP is a guaranteed market for the fresh milk.”
The DSWD vowed to continue engaging local and small producers of agricultural products in the conduct of feeding programs across the country.
"DSWD continues to encourage its Field Offices and other program implementers to engage local farmers in the procurement of raw materials for feeding programs as stipulated in DSWD Administrative Order No. 4, Series of 2016 or the Amended Omnibus Guidelines in the Implementation of the Supplementary Feeding Program.”
The existing guidelines tasks the DSWD FOs to prioritize the involvement of local farmer’s organizations in the procurement of rice, viands, and non-rice based snacks, through Community Participation as a Negotiated Procurement Modality.
Local farmer’s organizations are composed of poor and smallholder farmers.
AO No. 4 requires that at least 30 percent of the food requirements of Child Development Centers and Supervised Neighborhood Play areas be procured from local producers.
The DSWD also expressed commitment to continue procuring fresh milk from local dairy producers through the partnership with the National Dairy Authority and Philippine Carabao Center.
Last year’s milk feeding program covered a total of 52,013 beneficiaries.
The DSWD cited that the Expanded Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (EPAHP)-National Program Management Office is also currently coordinating with the Government Procurement and Policy Board for the enhancement of the Community Participation Procurement Manual.
“This initiative aims to further expand the engagement of DSWD and local farmers in the implementation of SFP, and will enable poor farmers and fisherfolk to meet the demands of the Department’s feeding program.”
Program implementers have been urged to acquire food commodities of the program beneficiaries from members of EPAHP, pursuant to the Memorandum Circular No. 12, series of 2021 or the Guidelines in the Implementation of SFP during Community Quarantine and Other Similar Emergencies.
“Following the revised implementing guidelines, the collaborating local government unit and EPAHP partners are advised to tap organized groups such as Sustainable Livelihood Program Associations and Agrarian Reform Beneficiary Organization, local community cooperatives or farmers or fisherfolk organizations to serve as service or product providers for their respective feeding programs.”