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Details: Written by Dr. Ma. Elsa N. Gerona, DepEd RO 8; Category: News; Published: 02 March 2021; Hits: 4156

Palo, Leyte - The Department of Education (DepEd) Regional Office VIII has continued the implementation of the School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP), noting its relevance in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges it has presented.

Some 185,325 pupils from Kindergarten to Grade 6 nationwide were the beneficiaries of the SBFP’s Nutritious Food Products (NFP) component; and 167,923 pupils provided milk through the SBFP’s milk component.

The SBFP consist of the provision of Nutritious Food Products (NFP) and fresh or sterilized milk with a total fund allocation of P310,864,698.00 for the school year 2020-2021, It aims to address hunger and encourage learners to enroll; contribute to the improvement of their nutritional status; provide nourishment for their growth and development and help boost their immune system, and enhance and improve their health and nutrition values.

The program is in compliance with RA 11037, otherwise known as the Masustansyang Pagkain para sa Batang Pilipino Act signed by Pres. Rodrigo Duterte on June 20, 2018. The law provides for the inclusion of fresh milk or fresh milk-based products in the SBFP as additional component to hot meals. The Bayanihan to Heal as One Act also provides for the augmentation of the SBFP budget for school year 2020.

For the fresh milk component, DepEd has partnered with the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) and the National Dairy Authority (NDA) along with the support of various cooperatives and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) engaged in dairy business. This is pursuant to the mandates of RA No. 11037 and in accordance with Republic Act No. 8172, otherwise known as the “Philippine Food Fortification Act of 2000”, utilizing, as far as practicable, locally produced milk in order to enhance its nutritional content and, at the same time, help boost livelihood opportunities for local dairy farmers and local dairy industry.

DepEd has also tapped cooperatives and small and medium enterprise (SME) producers of nutritious food products, particularly those assisted and accredited by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

For the Milk Feeding Program Component, DepEd, through the BLSS-SHD, sought the assistance of the National Dairy Authority (NDA) and Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) in identifying, gaining access to and dealing with the local dairy farms and/or cooperatives for the sourcing and procurement of fresh milk and sterilized milk, as well as the provision of technical assistance and other services in ensuring the production, processing, packaging, delivery and storage, as well as the safety and hygiene of the fresh milk and sterilized milk that are to be given to the intended beneficiaries. Schools Divisions that are either not covered or are insufficiently covered by the supply map of NDA and PCC were allowed to procure powdered or sterilized milk (Please see DO 37 s. 2020 (Supplemental Guidelines to DepEd Order No. 22 and 23 s. 2020 [Implementation of School-Based Feeding Program ])

As of December 2020, a total of 3613 schools have already implemented the Nutritious Food Products component and Fresh Milk component

With the challenges brought by the pandemic, DepEd adopted and innovated strategies to implement the SBFP following all standard health protocols. Due to deferment of face to face classes, most of the schools directly distributed the food and milk items to the homes of beneficiaries.

Under the new normal and the blended distance learning mode, DepEd intensified its partnership and collaboration with the local government units in the distribution of nutritious food and milk packs directly to the homes of the learners. In areas where parents and/or guardians go to schools to pick-up self-learning modules and/or to submit accomplished worksheets of their children, food and milk ration for one week are also distributed to them.

For SY 2020-2021 the total budget allocation of P310,864,698 was implemented from the month of August, 2020 (see table 1 for fund allocation and regional distribution, SBFP SY 2020-2021). The SBFP SY 2021-2022 has a total budget of P329,908,437.00 targeted for implementation from the month of September 2021 (See Table 2 for fund allocation and regional distribution, SBFP SY 2021-22)

Furthermore, DepEd Order 23, 2020 (Operational Guidelines on the Implementation of the School-Based Feeding Program for the SY 2020-2021) encouraged different strategies and schemes to deliver Nutritious Food Packs (NFP) and milk packs to the children. The following delivery strategies were implemented in the field:

Food commodities served to the beneficiaries are ready-to-eat/easy-to-prepare nutritious food products (fortified or enriched breads or pastries, fruits in season, root crops, and nutria packs) and fresh/sterilized milk. These food items meet one-third (1/3) of the beneficiaries’ daily requirement for energy (calories, protein, vitamin A, and iron) as specified in the Philippine Dietary Reference Intake (PDRI).

This effort is in compliance with the Bayanihan 2 provision of the continued provision of access to free healthy meals to undernourished children regardless of modality of learning through DepEd. (DepEd8)

Nutritious Food Products


Distribution of Nutritious Food Packs (NFP)

E-nutribun (DOST-FNRI)

Details: Written by Gemma Tabao, PIA R08; Category: News; Published: 04 February 2021; Hits: 576

TACLOBAN CITY, February 4 (PIA) – Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico “Mic” Petilla assured the public that safety and control measures are now being implemented against the African Swine Fever (ASF) that has affected some four municipalities, namely: Abuyog, Javier, La Paz and Dulag, all in the Province of Leyte.

This was learned during the interview with the governor in today’s Network Briefing News hosted by the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Assistant Secretary, JV Arcena.

According to the Governor, appropriate safety measures are now being imposed all over Leyte, in efforts to prevent the spread of ASF in the province and other areas of the Eastern Visayas region.

“We are currently conducting an inventory of all the pigs in the province and likewise doing the surveillance as to ASF cases. This is in partnership with the Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Animal Industry,” Petilla said.

The official also shared that even with the presence of ASF, the province has still enough supply of hogs as it has stopped its hog exportation to Luzon, on top of the province’s implementation of the “Leyte Economics” Program, where it has deployed more than 2,000 breeders to some poor barangays and former conflict-affected areas.

“These breeders that are quarantined and are strictly taken cared of, are capable of producing more or less 50,000 piglets a year, and these have not been affected by ASF,” the governor said. (GTT/PIA-Leyte)

Details: Written by Gemma Tabao, PIA 08; Category: News; Published: 22 January 2021; Hits: 1223

TACLOBAN CITY, January 22 (PIA) -- The office of the Regional Sanitary Engineer of the Department of Health (DOH), reminds local government units on the implementation of proper disposal of human remains.

During the recent “Suruswerte ha PIA” radio program hosted by Regional Director Olive Tiu of the Philippine Information Agency 8 (PIA-), it was learned from the DOH Regional Sanitary Engineer Percival de Paz that per 1976 Sanitation Code of the Philippines, all local government units must adhere and comply with the requirements provided in the said law, as to burial grounds, may it be public, private or memorial parks.

De Paz emphasized that no dead person is allowed to be buried in any area as desired, except those specified as burial grounds.

Among the requirements mentioned by the sanitary engineer in the designation of burial areas include a Municipal Resolution stating that the applied area is intended for burial use, separate from residential and other purposes.

“If ever we find any illegal burial, we immediately call the attention of the local chief executive for him to inform the nearest kin to have a mandatory transfer of remains,” de Paz said.

The Engineer added that those who have the intention to operate a private cemetery, must have at least a 1.2-hectare lot, with 50 meters buffer zone, to avoid any contamination particularly on water dwellings, adding that the DOH should likewise issue an operational permit should other requirements be complied with.

On the management of Covid-19 related deaths, the health official stressed that proper precautionary measures must be strictly observed.

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Details: Written by Edward Joseph C. Labid, SSU; Category: News; Published: 29 January 2021; Hits: 1158

In an effort to assist research institutions organize and manage their research information, the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) conducted the HERDIN PLUS Online Learning to three (3) member-institutions of the Eastern Visayas Regional Health Research Consortium last January 4 to 6.

January 4, 2021
Day 1 (Samar State University)

January 5, 2021
Day 2 (Leyte Normal University)

January 6, 2021
Day 3 (Samar State University)

Each session opened with a welcome message from Engr. Ernesto M. Granada, Regional Director of the Department of Science and Technology- Region 8 and Co-Chair of the EVHRDC EXECOM. This was followed by the presentation of research management process by the following representatives of each institution: Dr. Sherrie Ann Cananua-Labid, Executive Director for Research (SSU), Dr. Solomon D. Faller Jr., Director, Research and Development Office (LNU), and Dr. Ophelia Velarde, Head, Grants Development (VSU).

Participants from Samar State University (SSU), Leyte Normal University (LNU), and Visayas State University (VSU) were provided with lectures about HERDIN PLUS System in three separate sessions. Consequently, the PCHRD staff gave an overview of HERDIN PLUS as well as a discussion pertaining to the account creation, fields presentation, searching process, and document delivery service.

Speaking about HERDIN PLUS, Research Utilization Committee (RUC) chair Labid disclosed that aside from organizing and managing research information, it will improve access to health and health-related information. “It [HERDIN PLUS] will also generate a comprehensive report on health and health-related research information from PNHRS implementing institutions, consortia member institutions, and research-generating institutions”, she added.

Details: Written by Gemma Tabao, PIA RO8; Category: News; Published: 16 November 2020; Hits: 937

Palo, Leyte, January 28 (PIA) - The Eastern Visayas Health Research and Development Consortium (EVHRDC), an organization that strongly promotes health research activities in the region, has conducted on November 9, 2020, a Dissemination Forum on some Completed RRF (Regional Research Fund) Funded Projects.

The activity which was aimed to inform the public on some health initiatives highly relevant to human consumption so as to address some health issues, was conducted as part of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Regional Office 8’s annual celebration of the National Science and Technology Week which was celebrated on November 9-13, 2020.

With the current health crisis the world is currently facing, the forum was made possible through Zoom Conference, a virtual platform commonly utilized to avoid face-to-face interactions, in adherence to the government’s Covid-19 minimum health protocols.

Prior to the forum proper, a presentation of the EVHRDC Government Best Practices Recognition entry was made by, Dr. Reynaldo Garnace, a member of the EVHRDC’s Capability Building Committee.

Among the completed health research projects disseminated during the regional event were: 1) Community Risk Factors on the Occurrence and Prevention of Diarrhea Outbreak in Eastern Visayas: A Case- Control Study conducted by Dr. Lilibeth Miralles of the Visayas State University, Alang-alang Campus; 2) Awareness, Utilization, Implementation, and Satisfaction on the High Impact Five (HI-5) Program in Eastern Visayas as presented by Dr. Pearl Irish T. Velicaria–De Paz of the Biliran Province State University, and; 3) Isolation and Molecular Characterization of Klebsiella-Predating Bacteriophages from Natural and Artificial Bodies of Water by Mr. Clive Ivan Mercado of the St. Scholastica’s College of Tacloban.

In efforts to clearly understand some scientific explanations on the above-mentioned projects, an open forum was initiated after the activity, of which questions were raised by the participants with accurate answers provided by the researchers themselves.

The Research Dissemination Forum is among the major activities of the region's research organization. Key ideas and importance of the said activity was given emphasis during the event by the DOST’s EVHRDC Director, Dr. Lucia Dauz. (GTT/PIA-Leyte).