by Recto I. Vidal
Malunggay, fortified noodles being served free for breakfast in public schools are nutritious. Ms. Jean D. Arcenio-Nutrition Coordinator of DepEd Aklan, told the Kapehan Sa Aklan media forum that noodles fortified with malunggay and eggs can very much fill the nutritional needs of the elementary pupils.
The Kalibo Elementary School is among the beneficiaries of the Breakfast Feeding Program (BFP), one of the nutrition projects of the Department of Education where pupils in low-performing schools are recipients of the government’s feeding program.
The feeding program drawn up to fight hunger in the country which, in the latest survey, has risen to 19 percent last year, reason for the elementary school feeding program fund.
Arcenio said the feeding program has encouraged more youth to go to school and keep them from dropping out.
"The education of our youth will ensure a brighter future for them, thus nourishing the poor pupils’ minds and bodies," she said.
The free breakfast is served to Grade I pupils, as well as those from higher grades who are underweight. Arcenio said vegetables are also being mixed with the noodles to make the meals more nutritious.
In addition, free rice are also given to some public schools targeted by the Food For School Program (FSP) for the poor.
According to DepEd nutritionists, FSP is successful in addressing malnutrition problem. In a monitoring report, DepEd division office noted a 5 to 9 percent decrease in the number of undernourished pupils because of the feeding program.
The incidence of dropouts and the survival rate are directly affected by hunger and malnutrition, the nutritionist said.
The DepEd reports claimed noodles fortified with Malunggay resulted to the achievement rate of public grade school students rose from 58 percent in 2005 to almost 68 percent in 2008, malnutrition levels shrank from 22 percent to 17 percent, while school dropouts fell from 6.98 percent to 5.99 percent. /MP
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