PALO, Leyte - The Information Management Officer (IMO) of Leyte visited the 5th a district of Leyte, one of the areas hardly-hit aby Typhoon Odette last year. The IMO visited the municipality of Matalom, Bato, Hilongos, Hindang and Inopacan.

These 5th District of Leyte municipalities were part of the humanitarian assistance of UNICEF, the Department of Health and in close coordination of the National Nutrition Council 8.

Said municipalities during the monitoring visit are implementing Milk Feeding Program under the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office.

The target participants are the day care children. During the visit, MSWDO Ms. Georma Z. Cavero has an ongoing distribution of milk to the Child Development Workers (CDWs). The milk feeding program will run for 120 days. The CDWs were instructed how to store and distribute the milk commodities before giving it to the day care children.

Pursuant to the Republic Act No. 11037 or “Masustansyang Pagkain para sa Batang Pilipino”, the DSWD in coordination with the local government units (LGU) and other agencies is mandated to implement a supplementary feeding program (SFP) to address undernutrition among day care children (ages 2-5 years).

Pre-pandemic era, these day care children are enrolled in the child development centers (CDWs) or Supervised Neighborhood Play (SNP) groups by incorporating fresh milk and fresh milk-based food products in the hot meals. Under the program, each child is given 200 ml toned carabao’s milk for 120 days to combat malnutrition.

The DSWD-funded milk feeding program carries twin benefits, as it will not only protect children from malnutrition by improving and/or maintaining their nutritional status but will contribute to the sustainable economic activities of the local dairy farmers as well. #RNPC-CPD #IMO-JGG