MANILA - The local government of Manila is set to launch vending machines in public schools that would dispense free nutribuns to students starting next year, Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso said Wednesday.

LOOK: Manila City govt in the process of installing nutribun vending machines in public schools in the capital city to give students free access to nutritious food once face to face classes resume pic.twitter.com/Mcun2RfARC

— Kat Domingo (@_katrinadomingo) December 29, 2021

The installation of the vending machines in public schools in the capital city began in late November and are expected to be completed by January 2022, said Cherry Javier, a medical professional who oversees the program in 4 facilities.

"They (students) will be given a card na i-aano [tap] nila diyan para babagsak yung bread dito," she told ABS-CBN News.

(They will be given a card which they can tap here so that the bred will be dispensed.)

"Kung ano ang ide-deliver na bread, yun ang magiging available dito sa vendo machine," she said.

(The bread that will be available in the vendo machines would depend on what is delivered to us.)

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Manila public schools have been distributing flavored nutribuns while vending machines are not yet operational. Parents have to collect week-long supply from school every Monday.

Cards to access the vending machines will be issued to students one face to face classes resume. pic.twitter.com/LYZWlhWhlY

— Kat Domingo (@_katrinadomingo) December 29, 2021

The local government of Manila has commissioned nutritionists who came up with 5 variants of nutribun, Javier said.

Among the flavors are cheese and malunggay, she said.

"Para naman yung bata hindi magsawa," she said.

(So that the children will not be tired of eating the same thing.)

"Kapag may laman ang tiyan ng bata, makakapag-aral siyang mabuti yung isip niya, mafo-focus sa teacher na nagtuturo sa kaniya, not like pagka-empty yung stomach niya, kumakalam yung sikmura niya, hindi siya makakapag concentrate."

(A child can focus on what the teacher is saying if his stomach is full, not like when his stomach is empty, when he is starving, he cannot concentrate.)

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The vending machine program in public schools was conceptualized even before the COVID-19 pandemic, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso told reporters.

"Sinabi ko sa kanila yung ekspiriyensya ko sa loob ng paaralan, kung paano tayo naging maabilidad [para makakain]," he said.

(I told them about my experience in school, where I have to be creative to eat.)

"Tinitira ko yung soup ng kaklase ko... Lahat makakakain hanggat maaari para wag danasin ng mga bata yung dinanas ko noong araw," he said.

(I would drink the leftover soup of my classmates. Everybody must have access to food so that children nowadays don't have to experience that.)

Under Manila's 2021 budget, about P110 million was allocated for the feeding and nutrition program of children, the mayor said.

"We wanted to fulfill our long-term plan na walang magutom na mga bata sa loob ng (that no children shall go hungry within the) public education system," he said.

"Panatag 'yung nanay, 'yung tatay, yung lolo at lola na yung anak nila, kung walang maalmusal, may makakain," he said.

(Parents and grandparents can rest assured that their children have something to eat in school even if they cannot afford to save breakfast at home.)

The vending machines are expected to start operating in March when limited physical classes resume, Javier said.

While students are still attending virtual classes, parents claim a week's supply of nutribun from their children's respective schools every Monday or Tuesday, she said.

A September 2020 survey from the SWS showed that nearly one-third of families -- or 7.6 million households -- did not have enough food to eat at least once in the previous three months.

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In the same year, the United Nations said that even before the COVID-19 pandemic, an estimated 47 million children under five were moderately or severely wasted.

Most of these stunted and malnourished children lived either in sub-Saharan Africa or southeast Asia.

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