Mrs. Mercy Pareja, a 67-year-old who lives in Purok 3, Barangay Patrocinio in the town of Sta. Josefa, Agusan del Sur, has been a dedicated daycare worker since 1995. She has devoted herself to caring for children at the daycare center, impacting the lives of different sets of children year after year.
Over her 25-plus years of service, Mercy has witnessed remarkable transformations in the lives of countless children. One of the most notable change that she emphasized is on the nutrition and health of the children – which she says is largely realized because of the Supplementary Feeding Program (SFP) implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
With her hard work and commitment, and the program’s aim to contribute to end hunger, the health and well-being of the children in their community have significantly improved, proving the positive impact of SFP is undeniable.
“100 percent maayo ang implementasyon sa programa dinhi sa among barangay. Dako kaayo ang epekto niini sa kinabuhi sa mga bata. Isip worker, nakita gyud nako mismo ang dakong kausaban sa ilang panglawas. Sauna, dali rana sila sip-onon, ubuhon, dali ra magluya, but karun dili na. (The implementation of the SFP program in our barangay has been excellent and has a significant impact in the children’s lives. As a worker, I have personally witnessed the transformation in their health. Prior to the program’s implementation, I have observed that the children are weak and are easily stricken with flu/colds. This has changed now),’’ Mercy said.
When asked about the additional fresh milk provision from SFP for the children, Mercy was delighted as this has helped the children even more especially in boosting their immune systems – as the mission is always to address nutritional problems.
“Sobra kami ka happy sa gatas nga gipanghatag. Karun, wala nako nakakita nga nagluya sila, matulog sa klase, tungod kay abtik na sila karun, healthy na sila. (We are ecstatic of the additional milk provision. Now, the children are more active, they now participate during class hours- signs that they are healthy), Mercy shared”
With enthusiasm, Mercy expressed gratitude to DSWD Field Office Caraga for the efficiency in bringing the program to the grassroots level and further highlighted that the success of their implementation in the local level is coupled with the support of the children’s parents.
“Ang mga ginikanan supportive pud kaayo. Mutabang sila pag-andam sa pagkaon para sa mga bata. Among gina make sure nga ang pagkaon mapadulong gyud sa matag bata. Busa, salamat kaayo DSWD sa inyong programa. (The parents are also supportive, they help in preparing food for the children. We ensure that the food is given to each child inside the center. Thank you DSWD for your program),’’ Mercy added.
During the last school year, a total of 50 children aged 2-4 years old were enrolled at the day care center in Patrocinio. They all enjoyed hot meals and milk from the SFP. Mercy is hopeful that this coming school year, the program would continue to help incoming students in her community.
For school year 2023-2024, a total of 75,791 children aged 2-4 years old from Child Development Centers (CDCs) in Caraga Region were supplemented with hot meals while 5,000 children were provided with fresh milk through the program. SFP aims to improve and maintain the nutritional status of children by providing augmentation support for feeding and intensifying nutrition and health education for 120 days.
