MORONG, Bataan – The municipal government here on Wednesday launched its supplemental feeding program for more than 500 school children to lessen cases of malnutrition in five barangays.
Mayor Cynthia Estanislao, a physician, said they have the largest number of beneficiaries compared to other feeding programs undertaken by the rest of the 11 towns in Bataan. She expressed hope that malnourishment will soon be a thing of the past in the mountain town.
Estanislao said that Morong ranked fourth this year from the 11th place in 2007 in the nutrition program in the province.
She said that the feeding project is part of the municipality’s health program.
The recipients coming from public daycare centers, primary and some secondary schools were included in the program after they were found underweight.
Children are given free lunch consisting of vegetables and other nutritious food from Mondays through Fridays during the entire school year.
“We have received reports from the teachers that many children after their morning sessions no longer come back to school in the afternoon for having no lunch when they arrive in their houses,” Estanislao said.
She shared the views of school principals and teachers who attended the feeding program that children could not concentrate on their studies with hungry stomachs.
“But now that they know that there is a ready daily lunch waiting for them, the children are encouraged to attend classes regularly,” the mayor said.
Aside from the free lunch, the beneficiaries get regular medical examination including x-rays. Children found to have primary complex are given complete medications and even de-worming.
Under the program, parents especially the mothers are taught what nutritious food to prepare. They were also handed various vegetable seeds for planting in their backyards to augment the food requirements of the family.
Mayor Cynthia Estanislao, a physician, said they have the largest number of beneficiaries compared to other feeding programs undertaken by the rest of the 11 towns in Bataan. She expressed hope that malnourishment will soon be a thing of the past in the mountain town.
Estanislao said that Morong ranked fourth this year from the 11th place in 2007 in the nutrition program in the province.
She said that the feeding project is part of the municipality’s health program.
The recipients coming from public daycare centers, primary and some secondary schools were included in the program after they were found underweight.
Children are given free lunch consisting of vegetables and other nutritious food from Mondays through Fridays during the entire school year.
“We have received reports from the teachers that many children after their morning sessions no longer come back to school in the afternoon for having no lunch when they arrive in their houses,” Estanislao said.
She shared the views of school principals and teachers who attended the feeding program that children could not concentrate on their studies with hungry stomachs.
“But now that they know that there is a ready daily lunch waiting for them, the children are encouraged to attend classes regularly,” the mayor said.
Aside from the free lunch, the beneficiaries get regular medical examination including x-rays. Children found to have primary complex are given complete medications and even de-worming.
Under the program, parents especially the mothers are taught what nutritious food to prepare. They were also handed various vegetable seeds for planting in their backyards to augment the food requirements of the family.
