10 July 2013 – The National Nutrition Council-CAR in partnership with its local media group, the CAR-MENU and with the Philippine Information Agency-CAR, conducted the Kapihan sa Baguio at the PIA Conference Room in observance with this year’s Nutrition Month with the theme: “Gutom at malnutrisyon, sama-sama nating wakasan!”. This is a regular event of the Regional Nutrition Committee (RNC) every month of July and is being aired live on radio (DZWT AM 540Gghz) and replayed on skycable TV.
The panelists were composed of OIC-NPC Rose Lulu Pagaduan of NNC-CAR; Ms. Marcia Espinueva of DSWD-CAR; Ms. Michelle Andaya of Deped-CAR; and Ms. Teresa Abaratigue of DA-CAR anchored by Dir. Helen Tibaldo of PIA-CAR together with Mr. Gaby Keith of Midland Courier.
The press conference focused on hunger and malnutrition incidence in the Cordillera, the existing programs and projects in addressing these problems and about the activities lined-up for the celebration.
OIC Pagaduan mentioned that the region’s existing problem on nutrition are the high prevalence of stunting or underheight and the increasing number of overweight and obese among pre- school and school children in the region. Likewise, there is still a problem on the incidence of underweight in some provinces and municipalities in the region like in Apayao, Abra and Kalinga.
She further announced that the RNC in partnership with the CAR-MENU and the Baguio Running Club organized a fun run dubbed as “Run against Malnutrition” and this is scheduled on July 21 (Sunday). Accordingly, the proceeds will be used to sustain the Nutri-Pasada Program which the NNC started last year. The Nutri-Pasada is an outreach program for the nutritionally depressed barangays in the Cordillera which are identified based on the annual Operation Timbang result. She believes that this project will increase awareness of the targeted areas on the Promotion of Good Nutrition- IYCF and help in reducing the incidence of malnutrition particularly the underweights and will surely contribute to the attainment of the regional MDG target of 2.98 percent of underweight preschool children by 2015.
