With the absence of face-to-face classes in the coming school year, the government is preparing to deliver ready-to-eat meals to students in their houses to ensure that they are getting enough nutrition amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles made the statement after the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed that some 5.2 million families experienced involuntary hunger in the past three months.
In an interview with ANC, Nograles said Malacañang was bothered by the figure so they are now compelled to increase the government’s efforts to provide nutrients-loaded foods to the financially-troubled families.
He said there are three factors that play important roles in the government’s campaign against hunger, namely food productivity towards food security, food availability, and hidden hunger.
“In all three aspects meron po tayong ginagawang (we have a) national food policy roadmap kung saan mina-map-out natin ang lahat ng mga programa ng gobyerno patungkol sa food productivity,” Nograles said.
However, the Palace official said the problem was how to carry out the government’s different supplemental food program, particularly those of the departments of Education (DepEd) and of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) since there are no face-to-face classes this coming school year.
“Yung challenge natin sa DepEd school feeding program pati yung supplemental feeding program ng DSWD for daycare children, it’s because walang face-to-face classes, we need to do it house-to-house,” Nograles said.
“We have to make sure that the food basket or grocery packs or the food products that we give are nutritious,” he added.
According to Nograles, the Department of Science and Technology – Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST- FNRI) have developed several nutritious food products like enhanced Nutribun, ready-to-eat meals like instant arroz caldo or smoked fish packs, and “add-hot-water” food packs.
“Kailangan yung food packs na ibibgay natin bahay-bahay should contain, as much as possible, yung mga DOST-FNRI na ready-to-eat or yung mga nutritious food packs (the ready-to-eat or nutritious food packs of the DOST-FNRI),” he said.
“That way, we ensure natin na hindi lang sila makakakain ng tama, nutritious din,” he added.
Nograles, however, said the DOST-FNRI needs the support of local government units (LGUs) to produce these nutritious food packs.
“We just have to partner with the LGUs willing to host these production centers. Kasi ang technology ng DOST-FNRI ay available and we just have to partner with the LGUs willing to host these production centers,” he said.
“Pag nag-host ang LGU ng production center, ita-transfer ng DOST-FNRI yung technology tapos yung pag-process at pag-distribute niyan would be through the LGUs,” he added.
The LGUs would also be linked to farmer organizations accredited by the Department of Agriculture (DA) so they can directly buy the ingredients they need in processing the food packs. Nograles said this will also help farmers sell their products.
“That way, yung mga products nila, meron nang ready buyer which is government. Bibilhin ng gobyerno, walang middle man, lahat ng kita mapupunta sa farmers organizations,” he said.
‘So hindi lamang tayo nakaka-supply sa ating supplemental feeding program ng gobyerno, natututukan pa natin ang hanapbuhay ng ating magsasaka,” he added. (Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos)
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