The New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City (File photo)
MANILA – The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) on Friday started its year-round feeding program for schoolchildren in an elementary school near the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City.
The “Batang Busog Malusog” program aims to help around 105 wasted and severely wasted students of Itaas Elementary Schools (IES).
Child wasting, defined as low weight for height by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), is the most dangerous form of undernutrition and severe wasting, and one of the top threats to child survival as severely wasted children are 12 times more likely to die than a well-nourished child.
In a news release, BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. said the feeding program will be held Friday for the whole school year as part of BuCor’s corporate social responsibility.
The funds for the program came from proceeds of the “1st BuCor Cup Shoot for a Cause” held in March, which raised close to PHP500,000.
Catapang is also enlisting the help of volunteer doctors and dietitians to monitor the progress of the students under the program.
“We have to protect vulnerable children since severe cases can lead to death or permanent damage to children’s growth and development,” Catapang said. (PNA)
