Solon files bill for free breakfast program in public schools

MANILA, Philippines - A lawmaker from Cebu City is pushing for a law that would provide for a free breakfast program for children in all public day care centers, preschool and elementary schools in the country.

Rep. Raul Del Mar filed House Bill 364 at the 16th Congress, aimed at addressing the high prevalence of malnutrition in public schools.

“It shall be implemented in all public schools throughout the country since almost all school children enrolled therein come from poor families and suffer from undernourishment and malnourishment, which affect their capacity to attain and maintain average academic performance,” he said.

Del Mar said the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development should provide food subsidy to public schools, under a program where students get a kilogram of rice on the condition that they go to school every day.

Under the proposed measure, the DepEd shall consult with the schools' parent-teacher associations in designing the program.

“There is an urgent need to fine-tune this program of the DepEd and enhance the same by providing a free breakfast program not only to day care centers and preschools but also in all public elementary schools in the country,” Del Mar said.

Last July, Sen. Grace Poe filed a bill institutionalizing a 'Sustansiya sa Batang Pilipino' program, which aims to provide free nutritious food to school children in public schools.

Under the program, students in kindergarten and elementary would initially be provided free nutritious meals. Junior high school students would be included in the coverage on the third year of implementation while the high school students would be included by the fifth year.