The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Bicol is actively overseeing the implementation of the Supplementary Feeding Program (SFP) and Milk Feeding Program (MFP) throughout the region to ensure the quality of food and milk provided to beneficiary children.

In a recent simultaneous milk sampling and inspection, SFP staff personally examined the milk bottles before their distribution to the implementing Local Government Units in Sorsogon and Camarines Sur.

During the inspection, Ma. Christina Florendo, the Regional Supplementary Feeding Program Focal, stressed the importance of ensuring milk safety and quality. “𝘾𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙣, 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙙𝙖𝙮𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚, 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙚 𝙨𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙨𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙗𝙤𝙧𝙣𝙚 𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚, 𝙖 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙯𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙠 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙨 𝙘𝙧𝙪𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡,” she stated.

Florendo also noted that detailed inspections help identify potential risks and prevent possible illnesses. “𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙨 𝙪𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙞𝙡𝙖𝙜𝙚, 𝙤𝙧 𝙦𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙪𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙠. 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙨,” she added.

Moreover, DSWD Bicol personnel are actively involved in the ongoing feeding programs at every Child Development Center (CDC) and Supervised Neighborhood Play (SNP), ensuring adherence to SFP guidelines and mandates.

According to RD Norman Laurio, “𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙁𝙋 𝙞𝙨 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙗𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙣𝙪𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙡-𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙛 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙣. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙇𝙂𝙐𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙘𝙧𝙪𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙢. 𝙒𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙤𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙚𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙡𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡,” he said.

The Supplementary Feeding Program aims to enhance and sustain the health and nutritional status of children enrolled in CDCs or SNPs by providing supplementary feeding and intensifying nutrition and health education.

This food provision, in addition to regular meals for enrolled daycare children and SNP participants, represents DSWD’s contribution to the government’s Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Program.