PGMA grants special feeding program to Negros Oriental elementary schools

DUMAGUETE CITY, Oct. 5 (PNA) – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has granted Negros Oriental, in a special case, a feeding program for elementary schools in support of the existing Free Noon Meal Feeding Program in the province.

According to 3rd district Rep. Henry Pryde Teves, he asked President Arroyo during a meeting in Bacolod City where she opened the Masskara Festival, regarding the program.

Teves said the President’s approval was for their request to use the Food-for-School-Program of the Department of Education to be incorporated with the existing feeding program in Negros Oriental.

He said they were very happy the President had granted the request, as it will help improve the feeding program in the province.

At present, Negros Oriental is the only province granted the said special feeding program.

Earlier, the three House Representatives of Negros Oriental raised their intentions of converting the Food-for-School-Program to an actual feeding program at school.

Under the said program of the DepEd, each pupil receives a kilo of government rice per day.

But the legislators doubted that the rice actually benefit the children.

Teves said the Food-for-School program has a total budget of P150 million for the entire province, with the amount to be used to purchase rice from the National Food Authority (NFA).

The feeding program budget from the congressmen will now be used for the purchase of monggo, vegetables, viands and all other added supplements for the children.

Teves said that in his district, he will have a savings of P8-12 million, which shall be divided to fund other needed materials for the schools, like science and laboratory equipment.

The feeding program in the 3rd district has a total recipient of 63 thousand pupils who are officially enrolled from Grades 1 to 6.