With the start of school year 2007 this month, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has embarked on an intensive Supplemental Feeding Program, which is an important component of the Accelerated Hunger Mitigation Program of the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

DSWD Secretary Esperanza Cabral said the program involves the provision of milk and hot meals for children in day care centers in 370 municipalities in 15 regions during summer vacation and regular school days.

The amount of P256 million for the Feeding Program came from the supplemental budget of 2006 which was released to DSWD in March 2007.

The DSWD head said P750 million has also been allocated in the 2007 General Appropriations Act so the program can be continuously implemented for school year 2007-2008.

According to Secretary Cabral, the Day Care Students Parents Groups (DCSPGs in the target municipalities in Regions I, IV-A to VIII as well as in the Cordillera Administrative Region, CARAGA and National Capital Region have already received their respective fund allocation and have started implementing the supplemental feeding program. The DSWD has sub-allotted P256 million to these regional offices, which subsequently transferred the funds to the DCSPGs.

"In Regions I, IV-A, IV-B, V, VI, VIII, X, CAR, CARAGA and NCR, the feeding program started in many areas during the opening of classes on June 4, while some Local Government Units (LGUs) started their feeding program on June 18," Secretary Cabral said.

She commended the municipalities of Jovellar in Albay, Milagros in Masbate; Quartero, Dao and Sapian in Capiz, Region VI; and Sta. Marcela in Kalinga, Apayao, CAR for being the first local government units to implement the feeding program. About 5,000 day care pupils from the 166 Day Care Centers in these areas are being fed and are now benefiting from the glass of milk and hot meals that are provided to them daily through the feeding program.

In the NCR, 123,311 children are beneficiaries of the program being implemented by the 17 cities and municipalities in Metro Manila.

The children are given milk and hot meals using available indigenous food materials that will provide at least one-third of the recommended daily energy and nutrients intake of children three to five years old.

According to Secretary Cabral, at the start of the feeding program, the children went through a deworming process in nearby health centers and their baseline height and weight were also taken. At the end of the feeding program, the children’s height and weight will be taken again to determine how the feeding program has improved their nutritional status.

DSWD started its feeding program in November 2005, initially covering 11 regions. For 2006, the program expanded to cover 15 regions, including the National Capital Region (NCR) and Region IV-A, serving 282,023 Day Care children nationwide. The children were given one kilo of rice for every day they attended day care session.

For 2007, DSWD will implement a Milk and Hot Meal Feeding program for the entire 202-day school year.

The same number of children served in 2006 in NCR and Region IV-A was targeted for the 42-day milk and breakfast feeding program in January-March 2007.

For 2007, the 160 days feeding program will be implemented in two phases: the summer implementation covering the months of April to May 2007 (40 days) and June to December 2007 for 120 days covering the regular school year.

"Children in the program are already manifesting the social benefits of proper feeding. They are friendlier and more interactive and attend day care sessions more regularly. The children also learn the value of sharing food with other kids," Secretary Cabral enthused.

The parents, on the other hand, became aware of proper nutrition for their children, especially for those aged six months to six years, through their participation in nutrition education sessions provided by the municipal nutritionist. The parents also enhance their parenting skills through sessions in Parent Effectiveness Service (PES).

The government is well on its way to putting an end to the perennial problem of "diploma mills" or fake diplomas often sold in some of Manila’s main streets, particularly Recto.

Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chairman Dr. Carlito Puno said the antidote to this long-time problem is through the centralization of the printing of diplomas.

"There is much more to be accomplished if government agencies cooperate with one another. In this case, the CHED has linked up with the National Printing Office (NPO) in the production of college diplomas with security features," Puno said.

He said the paper to be used in the printing of diplomas would be the same paper used in printing the Philippine currency. Aside from a serial number, a bar code with the graduate’s photo not visible to the naked eye, would be among the other security features to be included.

Puno said the system to curb diploma mills would be carried out in one or two years.

The CHED chairman said that this system would prevent Filipino professionals from being banned by foreign employers as there have been numerous cases that fake diplomas were detected.

Puno also informed the students that the CHED has expanded its scholarship and loan program for them.

"The President has issued an order that we expand our scholarship and loan programs for students 10 to 20 times," he said.

The President was briefed by National Irrigation Authority (NIA) Director Alexander Reuyan on the status of the Libmanan-Cabusao irrigation pump system, a project vital to the restoration of Libmanan as the rice granary of Camarines Sur and the entire Bicol region.

Another attraction of the Philippine education system is the Filipino’s fluency in the English language, not to mention the world-renowned Filipino hospitality, he said.

Puno also said that aside from the South Koreans, about 1,600 students from India are arriving in September or October to take up medical courses and aeronautics.

LIBMANAN, Camarines Sur—Newly-elected Camarines Sur 1^st District Rep. Diosdado ‘Dato’ Arroyo, son of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, took his oath of office today inside a Catholic church before a barangay captain here, with the Chief Executive standing as witness.

In kneeling position in front of the altar and with his left hand resting on the Holy Bible, Barangay Chairman Vicente Chavez of Potot, this town, swore in Dato Arroyo during the concelebrated Thanksgiving Mass at the St. James the Apostles church. Reverend Monsignor Manuel Ricafort presided the Holy Mass.

The oathtaking rites were witnessed also by a few friends, relatives and parishioners, his wife Kakai and their two kids. Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr., Camarines Sur Gov. Luis Raymond Villafuerte and mayors of the 10 municipalities in the 1^st district were also present.

Camarines Sur’s first congressional district, with 75 barangays, is composed of the towns of Pasacao, Ragay, Del Gallego, Sipocot, Canaman, Libmanan, San Fernando, Pamplona, Minalabac, and Cabusao.

As he did his first duty as congressman, the young Arroyo joined her mom in project inspection, informal interaction and distribution of rice seeds, assorted vegetable seeds, corn seeds, and fertilizers to the farmer- beneficiaries of the Libmanan-Cabusao Irrigation Pump System Project at the office of the National Irrigation Authority (NIA) in Barangay Handong.

In his remarks, Congressman Arroyo thanked all the residents of District 1 and local leaders for their trust and confidence, particularly in allowing him to be their voice in the House of Representatives.

He assured his constituents that he will do his best and use the opportunity to contribute to the improvement of the living condition of the residents of the district by providing more jobs, water through modern irrigation system, and foods for them.

Winding up a 10-day "needs assessment mission" to look into the extra-judicial killings in the country, the European group headed by European Union Ambassador Alistair Macdonald offered today "technical assistance" to the government in the investigation of the slayings, prosecution of the suspects and witness protection.

In a joint press conference with Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita at the Malacaņang Guest House this morning, MacDonald said the technical assistance will include the "training of the judiciary, as well as in relation to the work of the Commission on Human Rights and the Office of the Ombudsman…"

Also present in the conference was Presidential Legal Adviser Sergio Apostol.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had invited the European mission to visit the Philippines and assist the government in going to the bottom of the extra-judicial killings.

MacDonald stressed that it was the Philippine government that had "reiterated its determination to stamp out the plague of extra-judicial killings, and invited the EU to consider providing technical assistance to strengthen the capability of Philippine institutions to address these issues."

The EU, he said, will also assist "with regard to possible training needs in human rights awareness for AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) and PNP (Philippine National Police)."

The six-man EU team of human rights experts also stressed the "vital role of civil society, including in areas such as information and monitoring, and as human rights defenders" and the "importance of engagement between government and civil society."

The team also cited the need to ensure that "government’s will to address this issue was matched by appropriate national budgetary resources."

Ermita said that the government viewed the European mission "as an indication of the EU’s recognition of the work that the Philippine government has been doing so far to address the issue of alleged or suspected extra-judicial killings."

He said the Philippines welcomed the EU as a partner in resolving the controversial killings. Ermita also expressed appreciation for EU’s timely response to the Philippine government’s request for technical assistance.

He also thanked independent bodies and agencies in the Philippines, including the Commission on Human Rights, the Supreme Court and the Office of the Ombudsman, for their participation in the preparation and discussions of the problem of the killings.

"This solidarity between colleagues in government is vital to successfully addressing these human rights violations," he pointed out.

The Malacaņang official said that the EU human rights experts "heard about the overall context in which these killings have taken place – the national security concerns because of the two insurgencies we have been fighting for almost 40 years, the judicial system that is undergoing reforms, and the challenging socio-economic conditions of the Philippines."

All of these factors, Ermita said, have contributed to the problem of extra-judicial killings and "therefore must be addressed as part of the solution."

He said Philippine officials received some of the initial recommendations of the EU Group "with great interest and open minds."