An estimated 150 children aged between 4 to 6 years participated in the simultaneous feeding at the City Plaza last December 10 to signal the start of the City Government’s feeding program under the National Government’s Kabisig ng KALAHI Project.

Known as “Makulay ang Buhay ng Batang Pinoy Feeding Hope Program,” it will be supervised by the City Social Welfare and Development Office (DSWDO) in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development-Regional Office 8 (DSWD)/Kabisig ng KALAHI and two corporate sponsors namely UNILEVER and Mead Johnson.

Present during this launching program was DSWD Regional Director Letecia Corillo, the project coordinator from Kabisig ng KALAHI and representatives of UNILEVER and Mead Johnson. They were met by City Mayor Coefredo T. Uy, ABC City Federation Vice President Stephany Uy-Tan, City Councilors Herminia Cabral and Art Gabon and City Social Welfare Officer Nida Aroza.

This program will focus on improving the nutrition of children with Below Normal Level (BNL) and Below Normal/Very Low (BNVL) weights. It intends to do this by holding feeding sessions for underweight children aged 4-6 years old for a period of six months. Free Lactum and Sustagen Milk will also be given by the corporate sponsors for this purpose with a cup of milk to be given to during the feeding sessions.

Five barangays namely Mercedes, Siete (7) Poblacion, Guinsorongan, Guindaponan and Muñoz have been selected for the implementation of this program. These barangays were chosen as program sites due to their high instance of malnutrition. Thirty (30) children were selected from these barangays.