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'Enhanced food': Nutribun comes in carrot, squash, sweet potato variants, says Solidum

Philippines | National

'Enhanced food': Nutribun comes in carrot, squash, sweet potato variants, says Solidum

By Ellson Quismorio

Squash, carrot, and sweet potato-enhanced "nutribun", anyone?

(Unsplash)

Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. explained to House Committee on Appropriations members on Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 7 the agency's role in the government’s supplemental feeding program for Filipino schoolchildren.

Solidum said the DOST assists in developing enhanced food for the Department of Education's (DepEd) school-feeding initiative.

"Example ay yung nutribun (An example is the nutribun). And variants like squash, carrots, no? And sweet potato," he said.

"So far, a total of 180 squash variants...Nurtibun producers have been given licenses. Also for the carrot, 136; and sweet potato, 94," said Solidum, whose agency has been allocated with budget of P24.06 billion for 2023.

"So this is all over the region and it is dependent on the interest of the bakery and also how they are able to link with the schools so that may profit naman sila sa kanilang investment (so that they will also turn a profit from their investment)," said the DOST head honcho.

The nutribun first gained popularity some 50 years ago during the time of the late former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. Marcos Sr.'s son, Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., is the current Chief Executive.

The DOST panel further bared during the budget hearing that the agency’s agreement with DepEd is to distribute nutribuns to pupils at least "two to three times a week".

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