MANILA - The Philippine government said Monday it would launch an "enhanced" nutribun to help Filipinos meet their daily nutrition needs.

The vitamin-enriched bread would be reformulated to be softer with micronutrients mostly from squash, according to Mario Capanzana, director of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology.

“At sinamahan po natin ito ng source of protein para tumaas ang protina ng ating bun kaya nga po enhanced nutribun siya. Mas hindi siya matigas, pero mabigat at tama ang kanyang micro at macro nutrient na ating kailangan,” he said in a virtual forum.

(We included more protein that's why it's an enhanced nutribun. It's softer with just the right micro and macronutrients we need.)

The agency is seeking partnership with micro-scale or big bakeshops in the production of the e-nutribun, the production of which would cost some P6 for a bun of up to 100 grams, Capanzana estimated.

The social welfare department has issued a directive for the distribution of nutribun in their feeding programs, he added.

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Nutribuns were popular in the 1970s, during which the breads were given to school children.

The bread's distribution may be done house-to-house while there are no physical classes, said Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, who is also chair of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Zero Hunger.

Breastfeeding mothers may be included among the vulnerable sectors who would benefit from the program, he added.