Press Release
September 26, 2016

Transcript of Sen. Grace Poe's questions at the Department of Education Budget Hearing

On school-based feeding program

Sen. Grace Poe: There are studies that show that there is a direct correlation between nutrition and the performance of children in school and during the last Congress, part of what we pushed for was a budget for DepEd is for supplemental school feeding programs especially for those schools that have a lot of undernourished children. I would just like to know the status of that because I remember in a report about the 2015-2106 the audit report for region 4A, 6, 8,10, and NCR the school-based feeding program was delayed. So I'd like to know now with the P4.9billion that the DepEd is allocating for health and nutrition services, I'd like to know exactly what your programs are and how are you able to determine which schools will be beneficiaries of such.

Usec. Annalyn Sevilla: Good afternoon. I'll report about the fund utilization for school-based feeding program as of end of June, ma'am, that's the latest report that we have out of the 1 billion pesos budget total obligation is 68% or 691 million and we still have 26% or 177 million to be obligated. But as we had an early discussion ma'am this is June so we have 3 months that has already been done. We will have an updated report by end of September to give the most recent utilization rate so this 26% unutilized might be a lower percentage.

Sen. Poe: So may I ask, P1 billion was actually allotted for the DepEd for the school feeding, I guess the rest we were able to allot for the early childhood program of DSWD which doesn't fall under either the rest of it. Now you have about 4-something billion for nutrition services, exactly can you tell me what your programs will be for the coming school year that will be included in this budget.

Usec. Annalyn Sevilla: For 2017, we have a total of P4.1 billion which consists of provision of food commodities that's 18 pesos per child and there is an estimate of 1,823,000 students so that's 3.9 billion, actually, the bulk of the 4 billion is in this program. And there's also a provision of toothpaste and toothbrush at 25 pesos per child same number of students so that's 45 million.. Provision of iron supplement which is 1 peso per day times 20 that's P36 million. And there's a year-end assessment, all other administrative expenses related to that will be the balance.

Sen. Poe: Can you tell me how much exactly is the administrative expenses? Related to nutrition?

Usec. Sevilla: We have a consultative workshop on the revision of some guidelines and regulations so that's administrative, ma'am. We have a year-end assessment review, so that's also included. But we have a big amount from sa Gulayan sa Paaralan din ma'am, that's P86.8 million.

Sen. Poe: What exactly is this? Gulayan para sa paaralan?

Sec. Briones: If I may join the conversation I have seen many schools...This is a program which goes all the way back to other administrations wherein schools which have big lots in big areas, they have their gulayan. These are very beautiful kasi kino-combine nila parang park yung mga school ano nila...And then yung mga...the agricultural products are used to feed the children. And then the mothers are the ones who cook. They come over and cook the food. I have recently visited such schools. And also, the Department of Agriculture has offered na when we are requiring schools in provinces to have Gulayan, they will support contests because there are ongoing contests right now but they will give cash awards. Magbibigay sila ng implements. So this is a joint activity of the Department of Agriculture and the DepEd na nagproproduce ng nutritious food para sa children. It's really very beautiful kasi naghalo yung bulaklak saka yung gulay, yung gulay ay may bulaklak naman kaya ang ganda-ganda. At nakikita ko one school I visited, nandoon yung mga parents, sila ang naghaharvest, sila ang nagluluto at sayang na we cannot do this for the urban based schools pero sa provincial it has been done for some time already.

Sen Villar: Can I make a comment? We are doing that in the urban schools also.

Sec. Briones: We also have contests and Gulayan sa Paaralan. And usually the gulay is used to feed the kids...Self-sustatining. Nagtatanim sila ng gulay, niluluto ng mga magulang ang mga gulay para ipakain sa children.

Sen. Poe: You can see how women...are interested when it comes to children, nutrition and food. Very basic needs but very essential nonetheless and I'm not surprised in Las Pinas they can do this because my colleague here can actually make a lot of products out of waterlilies so, I'm not surprised also If they have urban farming, but I'm also glad that the secretary herself has witnessed the success of this program and I think we really have to encourage this, even farming in small containers in urban areas which eventually, I think we can look into but I would also like to ask for, in choosing the students that will be beneficiary of your school-based feeding program, how do you determine that? Is it, are you determining it based on weight? Severely wasted? Is it based on areas?

Usec. Sevilla: Good afternoon again, we've selected children who are severely wasted or very thin. They have a body mass index for age that is below negative 3, z-score, or, also the children who are wasted, and this is because of your intervention last budget season, and so, we have been working with this children for 2016.

Sen. Poe: Thank you but if I can request the date after, I guess this was just implemented this year, right? So at the end of the year maybe we can ask how those children are doing, is it just for 120 days or for the entire school year?

Q: It is for 120 days for last year, actually it was last year that it was very big, the DepEd has always had some form of school-based feeding and but not in these numbers that we had last year.

Sen. Poe: So I will request a copy of your data to see how those children improved. Another thing is because also of technology and usually when I attend different trade fairs even government fairs, they have certain supplements that they can add in let's say lugaw, that actually is nutritionally balanced and I think that maybe, especially the secretary here is very sympathetic to programs like this, perhaps in the next year we can include that in the budget already that all schools, I mean I know it will be very expensive, all we can do is say yes or no, but at least we can try, while we are trying to institutionalize it and pass a bill for national feeding program, because isn't there a study a co-relation between higher grades, better performance of children who are actually fed with nutritious meals in school. I know we have this in Valenzuela, this is actually one of the successful standardized feeding programs that we have in the country and I'd like to acknowledge...This is really the advocacy of a colleague of mine here...Sen. Sherwin. So that will be it. Now, my other question is about the computerization program of DepEd. In 2017, your budget is P6.8 billion for this. Of which you will receive 6.8 billion but I believe that there was underspending I suppose or undelivered? In 2015? So I'd like to know how are you coordinating with the DICT on this matter? How may you do the computerization programs? Is it for the teachers? To provide them with a tablet? Is it for students? To provide them with computer labs or at least computers in schools? How do you determine which public schools will have those?

On ICT Programs

Sec. Briones: Usec. Alain po is in charge of the ICT program. He will answer your questions.

Usec Alain Pascua: Ma'am the 2016 packages for computerization for senior high schools standalone....The package will include seven host PC, 42 access terminals, 2 laptops and 2 projectors. And for secondary schools, again 7 PCs, 42 access terminals, 2 laptops, and 2 projectors. For junior high school replacement...There are some computers in junior high that need replacement. The same package--7 host PCs, 42 access terminals, 2 laptops, and 2 projectors. And there is this special package for senior highschool...51 PCs ma'am. These are all for 2016.

Sen. Poe: For all schools? Or for which schools?

Usec Pascua: Yes ma'am. Basically for 2016 these are all for senior and junior highschools.

On early Christmas break

Sen. Poe: So all senior and junior highschools will have this? So this is probably the question a lot are wanting me to ask and I might as well just ask. We are not experts, that is why we need your inputs on this. As you know, the president has made a priority that program to ease traffic in urban centers particularly in Metro Manila. And we each have to do our part to see how we can help ease the problem of traffic. And some parents have approached me and some individuals have said that perhaps...We can probably request schools to have an early Christmas vacation because it is this time of the year that everyone is trying to run their errands and doing so many different activities. Now, I know that we cannot disturb the allotted calendar year for children but perhaps if we extend during the summer months as opposed to and shortening the time when it's critical like in December it may actually be an effort that is immediately felt by our commuters but this is just a thought. I know that you already have your calendars set. On the other hand, the reason why we're asking for emergency powers is because we have unusual circumstances and if we have to make adjustments in each of our particular area, why not. Maybe just moving the Christmas party earlier or maybe the exams earlier if you haven't printed the exams yet. Is it doable? Maybe not in the entire Philippines but in Metro Manila and in Cebu.

Sec. Briones: Your honor from the time you announced your interest on the possibility of adjusting the school schedule we have been reflecting on it and we are really going to seriously study the proposal. Right now under our calendar, because we have to have 202 school days for each school year. The Christmas break for public schools starts on December 22 and then ends on January 2. What I have noticed as a teacher myself in UP, usually Christmas vacation starts early, 2nd week of December. But we also noticed that the build-up of Christmas traffic usually accelerates even during the Christmas break for the children because if have a break on December 22 the build-up is really 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 so what I'm saying is that we have to look at the statistics and the projections as to the intensity, the acceleration of the build-up. Does it happen during the school season or is it still happening even after classes are already closed, others they close on December 15, public school December 22 pero nag a-accelerate pa rin because Christmas is what Christmas is so we have to look at that. Also, we also need to consider the schedule for exams and so on. We also have looked at the possibility of extension of classes but we also have to consider that if we extend, we extend into Holy Week. And also the possibility of, because some classes start also of course during summer. Right now, the capacity of our school buildings, they are not the most comfortable and are not built for very, very hot summer days because usually we don't have class during summer and capacity of the children to absorb and I have visited classrooms which even until now are extremely, extremely hot because of the size of the windows would affect their learning capacity. Summer is also the time for summer diseases and all these things so we need to consider all of these in a school calendar which applies to the entire country and of course we're thinking primarily of the traffic prone areas like Metro Manila and the other urban centers. But we have to examine the data from the point of view also of impact on learning of the children because to summarize again, it's not only the school children who add to the traffic it's really Christmas itself which accelerates and the build-up I have noticed on December 24 things hardly move on December 25, 26 until New Year and that's already holiday. Wala ng estudyante but you still have traffic. The second is the possibility of spill over to Holy Week kasi graduation. Everything is already scheduled kasi so if you move everything, to move classes to summer, our classrooms are not built for summer. You have all the diseases and our children, I have entered classrooms as hot as ovens during summer time so all these things but we appreciate your interest in contributing to the solution in our traffic woes without resulting to emergency powers and I quite agree with that kind of perspective. Thank you your honor.

Sen. Poe: Thank you Secretary. Those points are very valid and of course you see why the picture being in the position but I would also like to stress that of course it's traffic 22, 23, 24 because everybody's rushing...

Sec. Briones: Up to New Year iyan.

Sen. Poe: To get what they need to do. And also as a mother, I'd like to have more time with my children maybe at home but we have to make time maybe on the weekends so this is not exactly a free pass for the students but I would like to hear what your decision will be. Maybe when you're ready as the soonest possible time so that, some constituents are also very curious as to what solutions you can offer regarding this. So that's all Mr. Chair. Thank you so much.

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