(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Senator Grace Poe wants an additional outlay of P2bn to support next year's implementation of the school-based feeding programme, which will include the purchase of kitchen equipment.
She pressed for the additional budget to ensure that the 2.5mn 'wasted and severely wasted school children or those with chronic malnutrition would be properly supported in 2018.
There is a huge backlog in food preparation and storage equipment in public schools 'which in turn hamper the latter's mission to provide education and nutrition, she said.
'We need enough facilities to prepare nutritious food for millions of students under the feeding programme, Poe said.
'We must invest in the future of our youth through proper nutrition, the senator added.
Poe said the additional funding will be used for the procurement of equipment necessary for the establishment of new school kitchens with adequate storage, and upgrading of existing ones.
The Department of Education (DepEd) has allocated P5.3bn in the proposed 2018 General Appropriations Act for the feeding programme.
In this year's national budget, the DepEd allotted P3.9bn to feed 1.8mn students.
The feeding programme targets wasted and severely wasted Kinder to Grade 6 pupils nationwide for a total of 120 feeding days.
Poe said various research done by local groups and international monitors suggested hunger, malnutrition and stunting—or children who are short of their age—are still prevalent in the Philippines.
She said the government should start treating kitchen equipment as a basic education facility that can be used to feed kids in school and to teach them home economics courses.
Poe said massive funding for school-based feeding underscores the need for well-equipped school canteens and kitchens.This year, the DepEd has a budget of P3.93bn to feed Grades 1 to 6 students one meal a day for 120 days.
This will go up to P5.3bn next year.
'But the question is, are there enough school resources that will aid in the implementation of this programme? Poe asked. There are many schools without or lack space for a canteen, she said. Many more have no kitchen.'Without these where will they cook food for the children? Poe asked.
'The answer lies in conferring upon kitchen equipment the same status and importance as books, computers, wash facilities, she said.
Poe added kitchen equipment does not only prepare healthy food but are teaching tools as well.'They cannot just watch cooking shows on YouTube.
'They are essential ingredients in cooking classes.
Remember that one of the tracks in the K-12 senior high school curriculum is voc-tech (technical-vocational), of which culinary arts is one of the offerings, she said.
Poe said a programme to erase the backlog in school canteen and kitchen equipment 'would hit two birds with one stone: you will have the equipment for feeding and for teaching.
She said that if the DepEd is having a hard time spending allocations for buildings, 'then perhaps it should divert some of the funds in buying easy-to-acquire stoves, refs, ovens.
Due to procurement problems, the DepEd has been reverting to the Treasury unused funds and is projected to return again P21bn in expired and unutilised appropriations by the end of this year.
This prompted Poe to seek for an increase in the Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses fund of a school so it can have a budget to operate school kitchens and canteens.
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