SCHOOL-BASED FEEDING PROGRAM 2021

OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SCHOOL-BASED FEEDING PROGRAM

10: Undersecretaries

Assistant Secretaries

Bureau and Service Directors

Regional Directors

Schools Division Superintendents

Public and Private Elementary and Secondary School Heads

A11 Others Concerned

1. The Department of Education (DepEd), through the Bureau of Learner Support Services-School Health Division (BLSS-SHD), maintains its commitment to provide good nutrition to learners amidst the COVID- 19 Pandemic. As such, it shall continue the implementation of the School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP) to address hunger and encourage learners to enroll, contribute to the improvement of their nutritional status, provide nourishment for their growth and development, help boost their immune system, and enhance ANd improve their health and nutrition values.

2. In consideration of t}le changes brought about by the pandemic, the implementation of the SBFP has been modified, putting utmost importance to the welfare, safety, and health of learners and personnel involved, while also ensuring the attainment of the program objectives. The SBFP shall be implemented in line with the Basic Education-Learning Continuity Plan (BE-LCP) and in strict compliance with the DepEd required health standards.

3. The SBFP primary beneficiaries are all severely wasted, wasted, severely stunted, and stunted learners. In case of excess funds, all learners in Last Mile Schools with 100 enrollees and below, the pupils-at-risk-of dropping-out (PARDOs), indigenous people (IP) learners, and those coming from indigent families, shall be considered as secondary beneficiaries. However, for School Year (SY) 2O2l-2O22 only, the primary beneficiaries shall be all incoming kindergarten learners, and the Grade I to Grade 6 learners who were wasted and severely wasted based on the SY 2O2O-2O21 SBFP report, except those who have moved to Grade 7.

4. The program shall provide beneficiaries with hot meals/ nutritious food products through school-based/de1ivery/rationing for 120 days. However, for SY 2027-2022, only 60 feeding days for hot meals/NFP and 33 days for pasteurized or sterilized milk are targeted, because of the extended implementation period of Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 due to the imposition of numerous lockdowns and the need to fully utilize FY 2021 funds by year-end in accordance with the cash-based budgeting system.

5. This policy rescinds all previous issuances on the SBFP, and it shall take effect immediately upon its approval.

6. For more information, all concerned may contact the Bureau of Learner Support Services-school Health Division, 3rd Floor, Mabini Building, Department of Education (DepEd) Central Office, DepEd Complex, Meralco Avenue, Pasig City through email at sbfsadeped. sov.ph or at telephone number (O2) 8632-9935.