The National Food Authority in Negros Oriental has received more than P11 million from the Department of Education as initial payment for thousands of bags of rice for the government’s free noon meal feeding program for school children in the province.

The delivery of government rice to the recipient public schools has, however, been put on hold as the implementation of the feeding was once again delayed, NFA information officer Rolando Lazalita said.

The DepEd is still bidding out other commodities that are part of the free noon meal feeding program that is being piloted in Negros Oriental after it was approved by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Monggo beans, “dilis” or anchovies, sardines and other items that form part of the noon meal, are still in the bidding process by the DepEd, Lazalita said.

Negros Oriental DepEd division of schools superintendent Dr. Ma. Milagros Velez had earlier announced that the program will take off in August.

The program covers day care, pre-school and Grades I to VI pupils from the different public elementary schools in the province who will be given free noon meals to be prepared by school teachers and their parents for 40 days.

The program was conceived by former Negros Oriental 3rd district Rep. Herminio Teves who implemented it in the schools in his district.

It has since been replicated in other districts of the province.

The initial P11,233,440.00 payment made by the DepEd to the NFA covers all schools in the three districts under the Negros Oriental division.

These include 56,688 pupils in the 1st district, 34,011 pupils in the 2nd district and 49,719 pupils in the 3rd district, Lazalita said.

Meanwhile, the interim DepEd divisions of Bais City, Dumaguete City, Tanjay City, Bayawan City, and Guihulngan have yet to apply for the said program and sign an agreement, before the free noon meal feeding program can be implemented in the schools in these areas, he added.*JFP

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