August 7, 2017
DepEd Order No. 39, s. 2017
Table of Contents
Operational Guidelines on the Implementation of School-Based Feeding Program for School Years 2017-2022
To:
Undersecretaries
Assistant Secretaries
Bureau and Service Directors
Regional Directors
Schools Division Superintendents
Public Elementary Schools Heads
All Others Concerned
- The Department of Education (DepEd), through the Bureau of Learners Support Services–School Health Division (BLSS–SHD), shall implement the School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP) for School Years (SY) 2017-2022 to address undernutrition among public school children. The SBFP Operational Guidelines is enclosed.
- The SBFP covers all Severely Wasted (SW) and Wasted (W) Kindergarten to Grade 6 pupils for SY 2017-2018. The program primarily aims to improve the nutritional status of the beneficiaries by at least 70% at the end of 120 feeding days. Secondarily, it aims to increase classroom attendance by 85% to 100% and improve the children’s health and nutrition values and behavior.
- All DepEd Orders (DO) and other related issuances, rules and regulations and provisions which are inconsistent with these guidelines are hereby repealed, rescinded, or modified accordingly.
- This policy shall take effect immediately after its publication in www.deped.gov.ph. or in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
- For more information, all concerned may contact the Bureau of Learner Support Services–School Health Division (BLSS–SHD), 3rd floor, Mabini Building, Department of Education (DepEd) Central Office, DepEd Complex, Meralco Avenue, Pasig City at telephone no. (02) 632-9935 or through email address: blss.shd@deped.gov.ph.
- Immediate dissemination of and strict compliance with this Order is directed.
(Sgd)LEONOR MAGTOLIS BRIONES
Secretary
Enclosure to DepEd Order No, 39 s. 2017
Department of Education Operational Guidelines on the Implementation of School Based Feeding Program
I. Rationale
School Feeding Programs (SFPs) are considered to be a sound investment in education. There is evidence that SFPs increase school enrollment (Ahmed 2004; Gelli, Meir, and Espejo 2007), cognition (Whaley et al. 2003; Kristjansson et al. 2007; Jukes et al. 2008) and educational achievement (Tan, Lane, and Lassibille 1999; Ahmed 2004; Adelman et al. 2008), particularly if supported by complementary actions such as deworming and micronutrient fortification or supplementation (Simeon, Grantham-McGregor, and Wong 1995; van Stuijvenberg et.al. 1999; Jukes et al. 2002).1
In the past six (6) years, the Department of Education (DepEd) through the Bureau of Learner Support Services (BLSS) – School Health Division (SHD) has done policy improvements to make sure that the feeding program meets its objectives. Annual program evaluation indicates that 73% of the undernourished student beneficiaries convert to normal nutritional status at the end of 120 feeding days. School attendance was also noted to have improved and is averaging at 98%. The children were observed to have better class participation and exhibit positive health habits such as washing of hands before and after eating, tooth brushing, and general good grooming practices. These findings were affirmed by the result of the impact study done by the Philippine Institute of Developmental Studies (PIDS) in 2015.2
The process evaluation research done by PIDS also on the same year indicates that the SBFP is a “well managed program”. School heads and other school personnel were oriented before the program started. Parents of beneficiaries were included as participants of the orientation and committed their services for program implementation. Financial processes, including procurement and auditing procedures, were thoroughly discussed and monitored by the core Technical Working Group (TWG) at all levels. A good feedback mechanism was established using the supervisory structures of the Regional and Schools Division Offices (ROs and SDOs). SDO accountants assisted school heads in complying with procurement requirements and in preparing liquidation reports and consulted with staff of the Commission on Audit (COA) regarding problems encountered by the SBFP implementers.
The SBFP appeared to work best when complemented with other School Health Programs such as deworming, micronutrient supplementation, Gulayan sa Paaralan Program (GPP), and WASH in Schools (WinS) Program. School heads underscore the importance of these programs to ensure that children are ready to learn and thrive in a healthy school environment that allows them to develop health-promoting habits and behaviors for a healthier future generation.
The implementation of SBFP showcased not only the improvement in nutritional status of severely wasted (SW) and wasted (W) learners, but at the same time, best practices were seen in different regions such as the collaboration and close coordination with stakeholders/partners, accountants and auditors; the use of social media like Facebook in disseminating information on the implementation of SBFP; and recognition of best implementers which encouraged schools to improve their program implementation.
DepEd will continue to implement the DepEd-funded SBFP in accordance with the General Appropriations Act (GAA) enacted for the year and will cover all identified SW and W Kindergarten to Grade 6 students of the current year.
II. Scope and Coverage
A. Priority Target Beneficiaries and Schools
The priority target beneficiaries for SBFP shall be all SW and W Kinder to Grade 6 students. Actual target beneficiaries shall be based on the Baseline (June – July) Nutritional Assessment of the current school year.
B. Duration
To achieve a significant impact on the nutritional status of children, the feeding shall be done for at least 120 days. Feeding shall commence on June/July of every year and continue until the completion of the target feeding days. The start of feeding activity should not be later than July 31 of each year. However, for purposes of the current SY 2017-2018, the same should not be later than August 15, 2017.
III. Definition of Terms
Actual Beneficiaries – The actual number of beneficiaries enrolled in the program identified based on the current year baseline school nutritional status report. (DepEd)
National Target Beneficiaries – The proposed number of beneficiaries per region based on submitted previous year regional nutritional status reports prepared by the DepEd Central Office and submitted to and approved by DBM per GAA (DepEd).
Regional Beneficiaries | The expected number of beneficiaries identified by the RO based on the submitted SDO baseline nutritional status report of the current school year (DepEd). |
Nutritional Assessment | The appraisal of available information to provide a description of existing nutritional situation or nutritional status (FNRI). |
Nutritional Status | The condition of the body resulting from the intake, absorption, and utilization of food. Clinical examinations, biochemical analyses, anthropometric measurements, and dietary studies are used singly or in combination to determine this condition (FNRI). |
Anthropometric Measurement | Measurements assessing the size, shape, composition of the human body, such as Body Mass Index (BMI), height and weight measurements, waist-to-hip ratio, and skin fold test (WHO). |
Weight-for-Age | The simplest and most common indicator for the assessment of growth. It compares the weight of an individual to a standard or reference weight-for-age. This indicator is useful for rapid screening because it combines acute and chronic malnutrition (WHO). |
Body Mass Index (BMI) | An indicator of nutritional status expressed as body weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters. It provides a measure of body mass, ranging from thinness to obesity (WHO). |
Z-score | Also known as standard score, indicates how many standard deviations an element is from the mean (WHO). |
Severely Wasted | A very thin child whose BMI-for-age is below -3 z-score line based on WHO Child Growth Standards (CGS). |
Wasted | A thin child whose BMI-for-age falls between -2 to -3 z-score line based on WHO CGS. |
Normal | A child whose BMI-for-age falls between -2 to +2 z-score line based on WHO CGS. |
Overweight | A child weighing too much for his/her weight-for-height and BMI-for-age falls between +2 to +3 z-score line based on WHO CGS. |
Obese | A child weighing too much for his/her weight-for-height and BMI-for-age is greater than +3 z-score line based on WHO CGS. |
Wasting or Thinnes | Indicates in most cases a recent and severe process of weight loss, which is often associated with acute starvation and/or severe disease (WHO) |
Undernutrition | A person’s state or health condition resulting from the consumption of inadequate quantity of food over an extended period of time. It is manifested by being underweight or stunted or with growth retardation (UNICEF). |
Short-term hunger | A condition experienced by children who do not eat breakfast and walk long distances to reach school (WFP). |
Busog Lusog Talino (BLT) | BLT Kitchen is a model that supports DepEd’s SBFP Kitchen implementation. The scheme entails identifying a lead school to serve as central food production area for a number of nearby satellite schools. The lead school takes care of food preparation, cooking, and portioning tasks for a cluster of satellite schools. The satellite schools on the other hand cook rice and portion the viand they receive for their own student beneficiaries (JGF). |
Central Kitchen (CK) | A faeility/room that centralizes the procurement and food production processes and caters to cluster schools. The preparation and cooking is done in the CK, and the prepared food is delivered to or picked-up by the cluster schools (DepEd). |
Double Feeding | Refers to feeding the child with two meals a day and/or feeding of one meal and one snack a day (DepEd). |
Fortified snacks/food | Addition of one or more essential nutrients to food; it may or may not be contained normally in the food (WHO/FAO). |
Nutritious snacks | Food and snacks high in vitamins and minerals that help prevent diseases and infections (FAO). |
Micronutrient | The vitamins and minerals, including trace minerals, in food (WHO). |
Supplementation | A term used to describe the provision of relatively large doses of micronutrients usually in the form of pills, capsules or syrups. It has advantage of being capable of supplying an optimal amount of specific nutrient/s in highly absorbable form, and often the fastest way to control deficiency among individuals (WHO). |
Fortification | Practice of deliberately increasing the content of an essential micronutrient, i.e., vitamins and minerals (including trace minerals) in food, to improve the nutritional quality of the food supply and provide a public health benefit with minimal risk to health (WHO and FAO). |
IV. Policy Statement
This policy establishes the guidelines for the implementation of the School-Based Feeding Program for SY2017 to SY2022.
A. The program aims to contribute to the improvement of classroom attendance of target beneficiaries to more than 85% per annum.
B. The program also aims to do the following:
- provide feeding to learners, prioritizing the SW and W;
- improve the nutritional status of the SW and W learners at the end of 120 feeding days;
- Ensure 100% deworming of target beneficiaries prior to the feeding activity;
- Conduct group daily hand washing and tooth brushing activities as stipulated in DepEd Order No. 10, s. 2016, to impart development of positive health-promoting values and behaviors;
- Promote health and nutrition information and awareness among target beneficiaries through the K to 12 Curriculum and its alternative modalities of education; and
- Encourage Gulayan sa Paaralan Program and backyard vegetable gardening to augment the feeding program and to complement the nutrition and poverty-reduction initiatives of the Government.
V. Procedures
A. Budget Allocation
- DepEd CO shall propose to DBM the budget allocation based on the national target beneficiaries per region prior to the year of implementation.
- For the current school year, the RO shall be responsible for determining the regional breakdown per division based on the GAA. 3
- The SDOs, in turn, shall be responsible for determining the budget allocation and actual beneficiaries per school based on the actual beneficiaries from the baseline (June – July) school nutritional status report of the current school year. The budget allocated for feeding is Php16.00 per beneficiary multiplied by the number of feeding days while the budget allocated for operational expenses is Php2.00 per beneficiary multiplied by the number of feeding days. The cost of feeding and operational expenses may be increased in the succeeding years based on the approved budget by the Government.
- The budget allocation for iron suplements (may be in tablet or syrup form) is Phpl.OO per beneficiary multiplied by 20 days and the budget allocated for hygiene kit (toothbrush, toothpaste, and soap) is Php25.00 per beneficiary. These commodities may be procured at the division or school level based on the approved budget.
- Operational expenses allowed under this program include the purchase of basic eating/cooking utensils, stove, reasonable transportation expenses, water, dishwashing soap, LPG, charcoal, firewood, kerosene, labor/service of cook, and common office supplies needed for the preparation of reports.
- Other expenses related to SBFP (payment for the health certificate of food handlers, orientation, monitoring, and program implementation review, among others, which are requisites for an efficient and successful implementation) shall be sourced from other local funds or Regional/Division/Schools Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) and other stakeholders.
B. Suggested Procurement/Food Preparation Modalities
Different Procurement/Food Preparation modalities were developed through a series of consultations participated in by DepEd school administrators, feeding coordinators and health personnel of DepEd, as well as partner LGUs and NGOs.
The primary objective of having these suggested modalities is to lessen the burden of teachers and or feeding coordinators in the procurement, accounting and liquidation processes.
The SDO, SDO-TWG, and the SH shall hold a consultation meeting to decide on the modality of feeding to be followed.
SDOs shall keep a record of the modalities chosen by each school (Table 2)
The documentary requirements for small value procurement under the 2016 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of RA 9184 are Mayor’s/Business Permit, PhilGEPS number, Income & Business Tax Returns and Omnibus Sworn Statement; for “shopping”, Mayor’s/Business Permit and PhilGEPS number.
C. Eligible Activities
1. Nutritional Assessment and Identification of Beneficiaries
a. All schools are expected to conduct nutritional assessment of Kinder to Grade 6 students in the first three weeks of June or during the Brigada Eskwela.The data shall be the basis for identifying the target and assessing the improvement of the nutritional status of the children at the end of the program.
i. The World Health Organization Child Growth Standards (WHO-CGS) shall be the basis for determining the nutritional status.
ii. The baseline data shall be taken before the start of feeding and subsequent weighing shall be repeated every three (3) months. The endline data shall be taken upon program termination.
iii. A calibrated weighing scale, preferably beam balance, shall be used to take the weight, and steel tape/microtoise shall be used to take the height.
iv. To ensure accuracy of BMI computation, all schools are enjoined to make use of the BMI Software provided in a CD to each SDO by BLSS- SHD.
b. Each school is expected to identify and submit to the SDO not later than July of every SY the names of the SW and W students, with data on nutrition profile (birthday, age, weight in kilograms, height in meters, date of weighing, and nutritional status), location of school, name and contact number of the school head and/or authorized personnel and District Supervisor using SBFP Form 1 duly signed by the School Head. The SW students shall be segregated from the W students.
c. All SBFP Form 1 submitted by the schools shall be consolidated by the SDO using SBFP Form 2 and submitted to RO not later than July 31 of every SY for consolidation and submission to CO not later than August 31 of every SY.
2. Creation of SBFP Core Group
The School Heads shall create an SBFP Core Group from among the school personnel (feeding teacher or as designated by the School Head) and parents who shall be responsible for managing and implementing the program. The members may be replaced only for valid reasons.
The Core Group shall be composed of one (1) or two (2) teaching personnel (feeding coordinator) and one (1) or two (2) parents. The members of the Core Group shall be submitted by the School Head to the SDO for reference in granting service credits to teachers.
The SBFP Core Group shall:
a. identify the target beneficiaries based on the provided criteria, for approval by the School Head;
b. finalize the cycle menu for the whole duration of feeding, the Work and Financial Plan (WFP), and the Project Procurement Management Plan (PPMP) for approval by the School Head and for submission to the SDO;
c. submit a copy of the approved PPMP to the School BAC or BAC Secretariat for the preparation of the school Annual Procurement Plan (APP) for approval by the School Head;
d. together with the School Head, identify parents/volunteers who shall help in the whole duration of the program (identified parents/volunteers must be physically and mentally fit);
e. prepare the schedule of parents/volunteers who shall prepare and cook the menu for the day, prepare the feeding area, supervise the daily feeding and wash the dishes;
f. educate and capacitate parents who shall help in the food preparation;
g. do the recording and reporting using SBFP Forms; and
h. submit the terminal report at the end of feeding to the SDO through the District Office.
3. Orientation of Program Implemented
a. SDOs, through the TWG, shall conduct an orientation among School Heads and teachers using this Operational Guidelines circulated through DepEd Order and the SBFP Manual on School Feeding Standards developed for the purpose.
b. The schools shall conduct an orientation and consultative meetings among the school personnel, day care workers, barangay officials, organizations of community and parents, and other stakeholders before program implementation to ensure effectiveness, common understanding of the program, and the roles and responsibilities of implementers and stakeholders. It is also a good opportunity to seek the support of community members (i.e., school alumni, donor families, private corporations) in providing weighing scales (beam balance), storage facilities (refrigerators or freezers), and cooking and feeding paraphernalia.
c. Orientation topics shall include:
i. Overview of the program;
ii. Background/rationale;
iii. Implementing and partnership guidelines;
iv. Roles of PTA and other stakeholders in program implementation;
v. Training/cooking demonstrations for teachers and parents;
vi. Food preparation and food safety concepts; and
vii. SBFP Forms
4. Commodities
a. The School Heads shall have the authority in consultation with the Core Group to decide on the Cycle Menu in feeding the targeted children based on the standardized recipes suggested by DepEd, National Nutrition Council (NNC), International Institute for Rural Reconstruction (IIRR), JGF-BLT Recipes and Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), locally produced standardized indigenous recipes and other standardized recipes. Special consideration shall be made on the availability and sustainability of supply in the area, reasonability of prices, and nutritional value which will help address the nutritional deficiencies of the target beneficiaries. Cultural or religious orientation of beneficiaries shall also be considered in planning the menu (e.g., Halal foods should be given to Muslim school children). A one-month or two-month cycle menu consisting of rice and a viand shall be prepared and followed.
b. To maintain good health and nutrition, all program managers/implementers in schools/division/regions shall comply with DepEd Order No. 13, s. 2017, (Policy and Guidelines on Healthy Food and Beverage Choices in Schools and in DepEd Office).
c. It is also encouraged to include fruits in the meals or milk from local dairy farmers if the budget can accommodate the costs or when provided by partners.
d. The SBFP Core Group is encouraged to serve iron-fortified rice, brown rice, corn grits, and vitamin enriched/fortified cooking oil and sugar, in support of Republic Act No. 8976, or the Philippine Food Fortification Act of 2000, and to use only iodized salt for cooking in support of Republic Act 8172, (An Act Promoting Salt lodization Nationwide and for Related Purposes or ASIN Law). Nutritional drinks, i.e., milk, micronutrient supplements and fortified snacks given by partners may also be given to the beneficiaries as a supplement to the hot meals provided that these are approved by Food and Drugs Administration (FDA).
With the Cycle Menu as basis, the School Head and the SBFP Core Group shall determine and prepare the complete list of ingredients needed for the entire duration of the feeding period using the Request For Quotation (RFQ) Form.
5. Procurement and Delivery
a. The procurement of food commodities shall follow school MOOE procedures in accordance with DepEd Order No. 13, s. 2016 or the Implementing Guidelines on the Direct Release of Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) Allocations of Schools Including Other Funds Managed by Schools.
b. For ABC of One Million Pesos and below, SBAC conducts procurement of goods using Procurement – Small Value, following the Consolidated Guidelines for Alternative Mode (AMP) (Annex “H” of the 2016 IRR of RA 9184).
c. For ABC of more than One Million Pesos, the SBAC shall conduct public bidding as default mode of procurement in accordance with the 2016 Revised IRR of RA 9184.
d. Subject to the Guidelines for the use of AMP using Negotiated – Agency to Agency (Annex “H” of Revised IRR of RA 9184), the Procuring Entity may also consider entering into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the LGU. However, it shall justify that entering into an Agency to Agency agreement with the Servicing Agency is more economical and efficient for the Procuring Entity, and that the servicing agency has the mandate and capacity to deliver the goods without sub-contracting the project.
6. Feeding Proper
a. Mechanics
i. Feeding time shall be decided by the School Head in consultation with the SBFP Core Group and PTA according to the needs of the children and practicability of feeding. It shall be conducted at the school feeding center/area or separate room to avoid disruption of classes.
ii. The school feeding center/area or separate room shall be within the school. The food shall be served and consumed inside the feeding area and shall not be taken outside the feeding area.
iii. The parents of the beneficiaries shall provide the basic feeding utensils such as plates, spoons and forks, or may be charged from the P2.00 operational expenses. Placemats, table napkins/towels, and other feeding paraphernalia may also be used. The parents or volunteers shall likewise be responsible for the washing of used utensils. However, the schools are not allowed to collect any money from the parents.
iv. The School Head or his/her authorized representative shall be responsible for supervising the daily feeding.
v. Feeding activities shall commence as soon as food stocks are received from the suppliers and/or partner-stakeholders.
vi. Highest standard of hygiene in the preparation and serving of food must be practiced and observed.
vii. All personnel and food handlers (including family members) involved in the feeding program shall be dewormed.
viii. Aside from feeding, the children shall be taught proper hygiene (such as proper washing of hands before and after eating), table manners (prayers before and after meals), good grooming, simple concepts on health care, and importance of nutrition in their health and development, among others. The children shall likewise be taught basic chores (i.e., washing their own plates/trays or washing the dishes). The feeding teachers are encouraged to discuss daily the meal for the day and the nutrients which can be derived from the meal.
ix. In order to facilitate the feeding and not to overburden teachers, the PTAs and other volunteer workers shall be mobilized and tapped to assist in the conduct of the feeding.
x. If beneficiaries become overweight/obese, they shall continue to be fed but they will be referred to the PE teacher for involvement in physical activities/exercises and to the School Nurse for health counseling.
xi. Beneficiaries who are not gaining weight or continue to be severely undernourished shall be referred to the health personnel for further assessment.
xii. The SBFP Core Group is encouraged to minimize food wastage by practicing portion control.
xiii. Children who participated in daily feeding shall be recorded in SBFP Form 4.
xiv. In cases of interruption (i.e., school is used as temporary evacuation center, etc.), the School Head shall ensure that the feeding activity shall be for the targeted children only.
b. Adherence to Food Safety
The following food safety standards shall be strictly enforced and followed at all times in accordance with DepEd Order No. 14, s. 2005 (Instructions to Ensure Consumption of Nutritious and Safe Food in Schools) and DepEd Order No. 52, s. 2008, (Compliance with DepEd Policies on Food Safety in Schools):
i. Availability of potable water and hand washing facilities;
ii. Well-maintained, clean, well-ventilated and pest-free environment;
iii. Proper selection of food and ensuring they are fresh and of good quality;
iv. Washing and cleaning food items before storing;
v. Storing of dry goods in dry storage area, and of perishable food in cold storage area;
vi. Preparing and cooking of food on the day it will be served;
vii. Provision of food covers and containers for safekeeping;
viii. Hygienic practices in food preparation, cooking display, serving and storage;
ix. Ensuring that non-food items are not in the kitchen area, or if it cannot be avoided, it should be properly labeled and segregated from food items;
x. Observing the expiry dates of food commodities; and
xi. First-In First-Out (FIFO) policy shall be observed in withdrawing stocks from the storeroom.
c. Compliance with DepEd Order No. 10, s. 2016 (Policy and Guidelines for the Comprehensive Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Schools Program).
i. Food handlers shall have an updated health/medical certificate.
ii. Food preparation and handling in all schools shall meet the standards on food safety.
iii. School personnel in charge of food handling and preparation are properly trained and certified based on the standards of the Code of Sanitation of the Philippines.
iv. All school canteens must secure a Sanitary Permit from the Local Health Office (LHO).
7. Storage and Control System
A system of storing and controling of food items in schools should be in place to ensure smooth program implementation. School Heads must allocate space in school for storing food. If no space is available, the School Head may coordinate with the PTA or barangay officials for the provision of storage areas. To avoid the demand for large storage spaces, a staggered delivery system of food commodities may be arranged with the supplier.
8. Awards and Incentives
a. Granting of Service Credits to Teachers
The services rendered by teachers who are members of the SBFP Core Group beyond the required eight hours of service or during weekends and holidays are eligible for service credits in accordance with the provisions of DepEd Order No. 53, s. 2003, the Updated Guidelines on Grant of Vacation Service Credits to Teachers. The School Heads are responsible for requesting such incentives for approval by the SDS.
b. Search for Outstanding School Implementer of SBFP
The best school implementer of SBFP may be recognized and awarded at the end of the feeding period based on the following criteria:
i. Percentage of beneficiaries rehabilitated to normal nutritional status;
ii. Compliance with guidelines;
iii. Prompt submission of liquidation reports;
iv. Establishment of vegetable gardens;
v. Good practices developed and lessons learned;
vi. Involvement/support of parents and community; and
vii. Advocacy and social/resource mobilization activities.
The best school implementers of SBFP may be identified from ROs/SDOs and the Most Outstanding SBFP Implementer may be awarded by the DepEd CO from among the seventeen (17) regional winners. Funds for this purpose shall be charged against BLSS-SFID Funds.
9. Complementary Activities
a. Deworming
i. It is highly encouraged that beneficiaries undergo deworming prior to feeding in order for them to get the full benefit of the food nutrients. Flowever, in cases where deworming did not happen prior to feeding, the beneficiaries may still undergo deworming anytime within the first three months of the feeding program.
ii. Beneficiaries, with their parents’ consent, could avail of the mass deworming activity conducted in schools. Teachers may administer the deworming tablets provided that a health personnel (from the school or community) is in the school premises to take action on any adverse event following the deworming.
iii. The Department of Health (DOH) through DepEd Regional Office Education Support Services Division (ESSD) shall provide the deworming medicines, which will be distributed to the SDOs and to schools.
b. Good Grooming and Personal Hygiene
Beneficiaries shall be required to practice good grooming and observe proper hygiene such as wearing of clean clothes, proper hand washing before and after eating, tooth brushing, and keeping nails short and clean. The feeding teachers shall do a quick inspection before feeding starts.
c. Integration of the Health Care Promotion and Wash in Schools (WinS) Policy
i. The package consists of daily handwashing with soap, toothbrushing with fluoride toothpaste and bi-annual deworming of children.
ii. Each child gets one toothbrush and has access to toothpaste, soap and deworming tablets. The amount allocated for these materials is only Php25.00 per child for the entire school year.
iii. Funds for this purpose may come from partners or MOOE.
d. Gulayan sa Paaralan Program (GPP)
i. Schools are enjoined to have a fully functional vegetable garden for the whole school year to supplement the school feeding.
ii. In compliance with DepEd Memo No. 234, s.2008 (Planting of Malunggay Trees in Schools) all schools should plant at least 50 Malunggay trees within the school premises. An area in the school shall be allotted for production of nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables like legumes, root crops, leafy green and yellow fruits and vegetables. In urban areas, schools may adopt an urban gardening technology.
iii. The schools may source initial planting materials from the local agriculture office.
iv. The schools may coordinate with the barangay council to designate an area in the community where the parents of the beneficiaries can establish a communal vegetable garden as primary source of vegetables for the supplementary feeding. Initial planting materials may be provided to the households by the local agriculture office or the barangay council upon request.
v. Retention of good seeds and planting materials shall be encouraged as a regular source of replanting materials for sustainability.
vi. Replanting of at least 20 malunggay trees every July is encouraged to sustain the feeding program.
vii. It is emphasized that ingredients for the provision of food commodities shall be sourced locally. All public schools are encouraged to procure these ingredients from any of the following local sources:
- The school’s vegetable garden established under the GPP
- Home and communal gardens by families of SBFP beneficiaries
- Local farmers, especially those classified by DSWD under the poverty line
e. Waste Segregation and Composting
i. Practice waste segregation and ensure the provision of containers for biodegradable, non-biodegradable and recyclable materials.
ii. Practice waste management, use of 5Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle, repair, and rethink), and composting to minimize garbage.
iii. Avoid using styrofoam and plastic containers.
f. Productivity, Life, and Values Development Training
The schools may coordinate with partner stakeholders for the conduct of trainings for parents in order to sustain family food security, increase school retention and improve the nutritional status of children in the long term.
i. Values formation
ii. Climate-smart training/gardening
- Bio-intensive gardening (BIG)
- Food Always In The Home (FAITH) approach
- Gulayan sa Paaralan Program
- Fish culture using cement tank/drum
- Urban gardening
- Livelihood/income generating projects
iii. Health and nutrition education
- Health and nutrition education in schools aims to create positive attitudes, skills and promote life-long lifestyle behaviors. Thus, nutrition concepts consistent with the Nutritional Guidelines for Filipinos should be integrated in class discussions.
- Information education and communication materials provided by the National Nutrition Council (NNC), e.g., posters on the Daily Nutritional Guide for Children 7-12 years, vegetables, eggs; Pagkaing Sapat at Abot Kaya exhibit materials; billboard of Gabay sa Wastong Nutrisyon, vegetable and egg; and Pabasa sa Nutrisyon kit may be used.
All program implementers and activities involved in SBFP shall take into consideration the “no class disruption policy,” and compliance with DepEd Order No. 9, s. 2005 entitled “Instituting Measures to Increase Engaged Time-on-Task and Ensuring Compliance Therewith”.
D. Procedure for Fund Availment/Release
1. Allotment intended for the SBFP is released to the DepEd ROs per NBC 567 on the Release of 2017 Funds following DepEd Order No. 9, s. 2017 or the Implementing Guidelines on the Release and Use of Funds for FY2017.
2. The DepEd RO shall issue Sub-ARO to the SDOs for the procurement of feeding commodities and operational expenses.
3. The DepEd RO shall release the funds to SDOs in two tranches; the 1st tranche (50% of the allocation per SDOs) shall be downloaded by May to start the feeding activity by July unless postponed to a later date for justifiable reasons and with notification to the Regional Director/s copy furnished to Central Office (CO). The amount of tranches shall be based on the advisory given by the CO for the current year. The 2nd tranche (50%) shall be downloaded to the SDOs not later than October based on the actual beneficiaries from the Baseline Nutritional Status report of the current school year, to ensure continuity of feeding. (Total GAA allocation = 1st tranche + the 2nd tranche). 4
4. If the actual total number of SW and W children in a school based on current SY is more than the allocated target number of beneficiaries, the school shall:
a. Cover all SW from K to Grade 6;
b. Cover the W Kinder to Grade 3 and extend to succeeding grade levels until the budget allocation is reached;
c. Request the SDO for supplemental funds or schools shall take the responsibility of feeding the remaining unserved qualified beneficiaries through the canteen funds.
5. If the actual total number of SW and W children in the school based on the current school year is less than the allocated target number of beneficiaries, the school may:
a. Extend feeding beyond 120 days and/or increase the frequency of feeding to address the nutritional status;
b. Cover other learners, regardless of nutritional status, by feeding all Kinder up to the succeeding year level until all funds are utilized and consumed, provided that the target beneficiaries have developed their nutritional status.
6. Upon receipt of Sub-ARO, SDOs shall submit a request for their corresponding Notice of Cash Allocation (NCAs), attaching a copy of Sub-ARO and listings of recipient schools, to their respective Regional DBM Office within five (5) days. The ROs/SDOs are encouraged to request the Regional DBM not to deduct tax and release the full amount allotted for SBFP, in order to fully serve the intended number of beneficiaries. The DepEd ROs shall assist/facilitate the SDOs in requesting from the DBM the release of NCAs.
7. Upon receipt of the Work and Financial Plan (WFP), and the Project Procurement Management Plan (PPMP) from the schools, the SDOs shall release the cash advances to the School Heads. The SDO may release the funds in two tranches or through regular monthly releases as preferred by or agreed with the school recipients. Succeeding allocations shall be released to recipient schools upon submission of partial liquidation reports (50%) pertaining to the previous releases. The SDOs shall make sure of prompt fund releases to ensure continuity of feeding.
8. The manual on the Simplified Accounting Guidelines and Procedures for the use of Non-Implementing Units/Schools shall be adopted to account the receipts, utilization and liquidation of funds of non-implementing units.
9. The reimbursement form issued pursuant to COA Circular No. 2017-001 dated June 19, 2017 shall be used for the reimbursement of expenses amounting to Php300.00 or less.
10. SDO Accountants shall ensure that the School Head or accountable officer has duly applied for bonding with the Bureau of Treasury, Fidelity Bond Division. Additional bond shall be sourced from the School MOOE.
11. Allocation from canteen proceeds and other related income generating projects may also be utilized for this purpose but should be properly documented and recorded.
12. The School Head is primarily responsible for the liquidation of the funds released to them by the SDO.
13. The SDO Accounting Division shall ensure the timely submission of liquidation reports by the School Heads.
14. The RO/SDO Accountants shall prepare a monthly SBFP financial report to be submitted through channels to DepEd CO.
15. The RO/SDO SBFP TWG are directed to conduct stringent monitoring and actual spot checking of cash released to schools.
16. All Regional SBFP Focal Persons shall submit an interim status of implementation including utilization of funds at the DepEd CO-BLSS by end of December or the current year, and a final status by end of the SY on or before the first week of May of the following SY.
17. SBFP funds shall be treated as “special purpose fund”, and shall be issued/released to SHs regardless of the other unliquidated MOOE/cash advance provided that the said cash advance is current in status.
E. Roles and Responsibilities
1. The SBFP TWG shall be organized at the national, regional, and division levels. The TWG shall review and recommend program policies, coordinate and monitor program implementation, and provide guidance and support to school implementers. 2 3
2. The Regional and Division TWGs shall be composed of, but not limited to, the DepEd focal person and his/her alternate, Adopt-a-School coordinator, accountant, and procurement personnel.
3. The roles and responsibilities are as follows:
a. DepEd CO:
i. The School Health Division – Bureau of Learner Support Services (BLSS) shall be the focal unitfor SBFP supervised by the Undersecretary for Administration.
ii. Propose budget allocation for SBFP.
iii. Conduct the program implementation orientation to DepEd Regional/Division focal persons and School Heads.
iv. Monitor and provide technical assistance to DepEd ROs in the implementation of the SBFP.
v. Conduct program assessments in consultation with representative group of field implementer.
vi. Develop policies and issue memoranda/orders related to SBFP and other complementary programs for effective program implementation.
vii. Consolidate regional SBFP Terminal Report.
b. DepEd ROs:
i. Orient the SDO Focal Persons, Accountants, and COA Auditors on the program and its implementing guidelines.
ii. Submit to DepEd SHD-BLSS the list of recipient schools which will implement the program together with the lists of target beneficiaries, project proposal, and master list of beneficiaries.
iii. Designate permanent project focal persons to ensure that implementation of the SBFP is administered properly.
iv. Oversee the implementation of the program and ensure timely release and liquidation of funds by the SDOs.
v. Ensure proper coordination and active engagement with LGUs, NGOs/CSOs, and other groups undertaking the school feeding program.
vi. Monitor and provide technical assistance to SDOs in the implementation of the SBFPand compliance with the guidelines.
vii. Submit a program terminal report with analysis and recommendations to DepEd SHD-BLSS.
viii. The ROs/SDOs Dentist shall ensure that all SBFP beneficiaries are provided with oral health assessment and preventive care.
c. DepEd SDOs:
i. Forge partnerships with LGUs and/or NGOs/CSOs in areas where there are LGUs and/or NGOs/CSOs that are willing to partner for the SBFP.
ii. Orient the District Supervisors, School Heads,feeding coordinators, and Monitoring and Evaluation Personnel in the School Governance and Operation Division (SGOD) on the program and its implementing guidelines.
iii. Submit to DepEd RO the list of recipient schools that will implement the program together with the lists of target beneficiaries.
iv. Oversee the implementation of the program and facilitatethe prompt liquidation of funds by the schools.
v. Designate permanent project focal persons to ensure that implementation of the SBFP is administered properly.
vi. Ensure the timely release of funds to the schools.
vii. Ensure proper coordination and active engagement with LGUs, NGOs/CSOs, and other groups undertaking the feeding program.
viii. Monitor the compliance of the schools with the guidelines, procurement process, financial management, health and nutritional assessment and other complementary activities.
ix. Consolidate reports with analysis and recommendations and submit to DepEd RO the terminal reports from the schools.
d. DepEd Schools:
i. The School Head (SH) shall organize the SBFP Core Group who shall perform the functions enumerated under Section V.C.2.
ii. Submit to SDO the lists of target beneficiaries.
iii. The School Head shall oversee the daily implementation of the feeding program including procurement, actual feeding, health and nutritional assessment, disbursement and liquidation of funds, and complementary activities.
iv. Submit on time the necessary documentation and liquidation reports to the SDO.
e. Ensure proper coordination and active engagement with LGUs, NGOs, CSOs, and other groups undertaking the feeding program.
f. Submit to the SDO a consolidated terminal report after the completion of the program.
g. The SH is accountable for the accuracy and validity of the NS reports submitted for budget allocation and for other reports.
h. The SH is not allowed to refuse SBFP funds if there are severely wasted and wasted learners in the school, unless, they can show proof that they have external stakeholders who will support the feeding activity for the undernourished learners. The SH shall provide and submit a report of program accomplishment to the SDO.
F. Partnership-Building and Creation of Local Alliance
1. Value of Partnership-Building
By working cooperatively with partners, the SBFP can result in greater impact, scale, reform and sustainability. The LGUs, NGOs, and other private sector groups can be tapped in the implementation of the SBFP in order to reach out to more students.
Partnerships provide better opportunities to harness the strengths and competencies of each partner. They can also help in finding better ways of doing things to achieve a more efficient program implementation, since each partner can bring value to the partnership.
2. Partnership Arrangement
The DepEd will work with partner-stakeholders in the provincial, city, and/or the municipality levels and will create a local alliance for the SBFP implementation. For SY2017-2018, partnership will shift from primary school-based “feeding” to focus on complementary support to SBFP, i.e., milk, nutritious beverages or micronutrient supplements on rice and viand allocations on SBFP or with technical assistance for better effectiveness in the implementation of SBFP and its implements and facilities.
a. Identification of Potential Partners for SBFP
i. DepEd Schools Division Offices (SDOs) through the Adopt-A-School Program (ASP) Coordinator shall make an initial list of current and potential SBFP partners which may include the LGUs, NGOs/CSOs, professional organizations, faith-based organizations, local private sector groups, migrant organizations, cooperatives or people’s organizations that are committed to support the feeding program.
Table 4. Suggested menu of services/support that partners may provide:
Services/support | Quantity |
1. Equipment | Weighing scale (detecto or beam balance) - one per school Microtoise (tool used for height measurement) Feeding paraphernalia/cooking utensils Plates, cups, glasses, spoon and fork (1 set per beneficiary), etc. |
2. Services | Allowance for kitchen help/cook 1 helper for 40 student beneficiaries Manpower (volunteers) Refurbishment of feeding centers, etc. |
3. Inputs for Gulayan sa Paaralan | Seeds, seedlings, seed trays, organic fertilizers, garden tools, garden infrastructure etc. |
ii. Partners (such as LGUs) that have committed to provide hot meals to severely wasted and wasted learners are advised to proceed with their feeding in their identified schools after the DepEd has completed the 120 feeding days. This is in consonance with our guidelines that “no two feeding program shall be implemented in one school”. This will also ensure continuous feeding program for children until the end of the school year which will help address the issue of regression to SW and W of children that were rehabilitated after the 120 days feeding (PIDS SBFP Impact Evaluation, 2014).
iii. SDOs shall formalize the partnership through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) containing the terms of the partnership. It is important that each partner is aware of their roles and responsibilities.
iv. Private sector partners may avail of the tax incentives on the expenses incurred in the project by fulfilling the requirements of the ASP Secretariat in accordance with Republic Act No. 8525. The ASP Secretariat shall review and process the application and endorse it to the concerned revenue district office of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) for approval.
b. Convening the Planning Meeting
i. Once the list of potential partners is ready, the SDO shall form a local alliance by conducting partnership conferences to orient the current and potential partners about SBFP and the need to build partnerships.
ii. In areas where the LGUs agree to partner for the SBFP, the SDOs shall take the lead in coordinating, convening and managing the partnerships.
iii. Suggested activities/topics in the planning meeting:
• Commitment setting among all partners with concrete modes of support (manpower, financial donations, etc.);
• Assigning schools which will be covered by each partner;
• Oversight of process and output generation;
• Reporting mechanism for gathering data; and
• Performance indicators and key result areas to make the oversight function more effective and efficient.
c. Special Cases
If there are partners who are interested to do school feeding but cannot meet the minimum number of feeding days (100 days) as stipulated in DepEd Order No. 54, s.2013, the SDO shall pool the resources from other partners to complete the standard number of feeding days.
d. Partnership-Building Guide
The partnership building manual was developed by DepEd and other stakeholders which can be used by the SDOs as reference. A PDF copy of this manual can be made available to the SDOs by request. 3
3. Coordination Mechanism
With the involvement of various partners in the SBFP, a mechanism for coordination must be established to ensure that agreements during the planning meeting will be carried out effectively and efficiently.
a. Coordination Meeting
The SBFP local alliance shall regularly meet within the school year to keep track of the progress and identify challenges and corresponding solutions in the SBFP implementation. It is recommended that the coordination meetings of the local alliance be held (a) before the start of the program in June or July (aside from the partnership workshop); (b) mid of the program (October), (c) end of the program (March), and (d) as need arises.
The coordination meeting agenda shall cover but is not limited to the following topics:
i. Program monitoring including trouble-shooting;
ii. Mid-program and end of the program evaluation results of SBFP; and
iii. Updates on data needed from each partner involved.
b. Roles and Responsibilities in the Coordination Process
Roles in the coordination process of the SBFP local alliance shall be made clear and agreed upon by each of the local alliance member. The decision-making shall be made in consultation with all of the members.
i. Convener – The essential characteristic of the convener is credibility or authority to bring together current and potential partners to the local alliance. In areas where the LGU agreed to be a partner of the DepEd in the SBFP, the convener can be the LGU but in close coordination with the SDO. However, in areas where the LGU is not available, the SDO should act as the convener.
ii. Facilitator – The SDO is recommended to facilitate the coordination process
and ensure that it is moving forward and that all partners are invested in the process. The facilitator’s role may not be limited to the DepEd but may also be performed by the LGU or the NGO/private sector group of the local alliance. Regardless of who plays the role, the person to be assigned must have the facilitation skills which will lead to the achievement of the goals set by the local alliance.
iii. Stakeholder/Partner representative – All of the members of the local alliance are encouraged to actively participate, invest in the process, and own and commit to the program to achieve its success.
c. Resolving Partnership Issues/Conflicts
The SDO shall formalize the partnership with the LGUs, NGOs, private sector and/or other groups through a MOA containing the outline of basic roles and responsibilities of each party.A mechanism for resolving partnership issues must be included in the MOA.
d. Planning for Sustainability
i. The SDO shall develop regular monitoring and reporting mechanisms with the
LGU and/or other partners who are members of the local alliance. Buy-in of LGU and stakeholders increases when they see that improvements and results happen within increments of time.
ii. An important part of sustaining the LGU’s support for the program is to include the program in the Annual Investment Plan or the Annual Budget of the LGU. It is recommended that the SDOs advocate among their counterpart LGUs (provinces, cities) as well as municipalities and barangays to pass local resolutions which reflect the support of the LGU through the allocation of hygiene, and productivity, life, and values development training (SBFP Form 9 and SFS Tool).
3. Regional Level – The regional TWG is expected to monitor quarterly the activities of the SDOs such as the activities with partners, request for funds, submission of required documents from the schools, timely release of funds to the School Heads, start of feeding, progress of implementation, and liquidation of funds (SBFP Form 8).
4. National Level – The national TWG is expected to monitor the activities of the ROs such as technical assistance to SDOs, orientation of SDOs, ensuring that the program is implemented on time and according to standards (SBFP Form 7).
B. Submission of Reports
1. Report on SBFP Coverage and Start of Feeding
All schools shall submit to SDOs the status of SBFP implementation. The ROs and SDOs shall consolidate and submit the reports including the number of beneficiaries for current SY and the start of feeding using SBFP Forms 1-3 to BLSS-SHD. This shall be for both SBFP and Partner-funded feeding programs.
2. Progress Report
a. All schools shall submit (every 10th of the month/quarterly) to BLSS-SHD, to be consolidated by the SDOs and ROs, a monthly/quarterly progress report on the status of implementation which includes actual number of schools and beneficiaries, financial status of utilization, downloading, disbursement and liquidations.
b. Progress reports shall include the following details:
3. Terminal Report
a. All School Heads shall submit a terminal report to include the following: program accomplishments; list of names of beneficiaries; findings of the monitoring activities; issues encountered and actions taken; procurement process; good practices or lessons learned; personnel involved, pictures before, during, and after the feeding activities, and goods procured.
b. All terminal reports shall be submitted to the DepEd SDO through the District Office, then to the DepEd RO, then the DepEd ROs to DepEd BLSS-SHD (SBFP Form 5-6).
c. The DepEd ROs and SDOs are expected to consolidate all reports before submission to DepEd BLSS-SHD.
d. These procedures apply to schools both SBFP-DepEd- and SBFP-Partner-funded. The names of the partners shall also be included in the report.
C. Program Evaluation
An evaluation shall be conducted during the first quarter of the succeeding year.
Guidelines shall be issued subsequently to this effect.
VII. Special Provisions
A. To maximize the use of funds in a school year, or to catch up on missed feeding days due to natural or man-made calamities, schools may propose to conduct double feeding (feeding of two meals a day and/or feeding of one meal and one snack a day), feeding on weekends or feeding during summer vacation for approval by the RD in coordination with the auditor and accountant. In this way, current funds for the school year will be fully utilized and spill-over to the next school year will be prevented.
B. Double feeding may also be conducted if the estimated number of feeding days will exceed the number of school days, subject to the approval of the RD prior to the implementation to complete 120 feeding days.
VIII. Special Instructions/Guidelines for FY2016 Funds
A. All feeding activities using FY2016 funds shall be terminated before the opening of SY 2017-2018.
B. RO/SDO Accountant are hereby directed to report all balances of the FY2016 funds
duly noted by the RDs/SDSs.
C. The report shall be submitted to the Office of the Secretary and CO Accounting
Division not later than June 15, 2017 copy furnished BLSS-SHD.
D. The excess and unutilized 2016 funds shall be used for the following purposes:
1. Augment the FY2017 funds in case it is insufficient to feed the 2017 target beneficiaries;
2. Conduct feeding for all grade levels, in all remote or far flung schools, mountainous schools,and schools in hard-to-reach areas and IP communities;
3. Conduct feeding to all stunted school children;
4. If there are still excesses in the 2016 and 2017 funds, it may be used for other SBFP-related activities such as orientation activities for field implementers, monitoring SBFP, GPP and other health and nutrition implementations/ programs; purchase of weighing scale, microtoise, multivitamins, medical and dental supplies, and augmentation of funds for the purchase of additional hygiene kit for the added beneficiaries identified; and
5. The utilization of the excess and unutilized 2016 shall be included in the 2017 WFP to be approved by the RD (if the excess and unutilized funds are in the RO) or the SDS (if the excess and unitilized funds are in the SDO).
IX. Penalty Clause
Any DepEd personnel who violate any provision of this Order shall be dealt with administratively, pursuant to DepEd Order No. 49, s. 2006, The Revised Rules of Procedure of the Department of Education on Administrative Cases.
The ROs/SDOs shall likewise enforce administrative/disciplinary actions on school heads/feeding coordinators or any SBFP implementers proven to have violated the DepEd policies, especially on fund management. (DepEd Order No. 62, s. 2016; and RA 9184)
Read:
DO 37, s. 2017 – Department of Education Drug-Free Workplace Policy