January 07, 2025 – A total of 116,809 children in the CALABARZON Region were provided PhP350.43M aid to maintain and / or improve their nutritional status through the Supplementary Feeding Program implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and their respective local government units (LGUs) for the year 2025.

These children were those enrolled in child development centers across 121 localities in the region. At least 9,000 of these children were identified to be at least stunted, wasted, overweight, or obese prior to the start of the program.

As of December 31, 2025, 73,077 children had completed their 120-day feeding sessions while the rest are set to be completed during the first quarter of 2026.

According to Liezel Estrada, the parent of one of the child-beneficiaries in Brgy. Longos, Kalayaan, Laguna, the feeding sessions greatly helped her child to eat nutritious foods, including vegetables, not only during the feeding sessions but also at home.

“Natutunan ko din dito kung paano gawing mas masustansya ang mga niluluto kong pagkain sa aming bahay,” shared Estrada, who added that this helped ensure that the benefits of the feeding program extend to their home  and the other members of their family.

In the implementation of the SFP, parents like Estrada are tapped as volunteers in the preparation of food for the children during the 120-day program. Through this, the parents also learn proper food handling and preparation, cooking, and other health and nutrition-related skills that they can use for their respective families.

In the CALABARZON Region, the SFP was implemented through a fund transfer scheme to each implementing LGU. The LGUs, through the local social welfare and development offices, lead the procurement of materials and supplies, actual feeding sessions, monitoring of nutritional status of children, and liquidation of funds among others.#