The Tutok Kainan Dietary Supplementation Program (TK DSP) in Apayao will commence on April 18, 2022.
This was agreed during the online Preparatory Meeting held on April 12, 2022 attended by the Provincial/Municipal Nutrition Action Officers (P/MNAOs) of Apayao, District Nutrition Program Coordinator, representatives from the different municipalities of the province, and NNC-CAR staff. Though the feeding program will start on April 18, the ceremonial launching of the TK DSP will be held on the 26th of the month at the EKJBR Evacuation Center in Luna, Apayao.
The TK DSP, which targets the Human Development and Poverty Reduction Cluster (HDPRC) priority provinces, Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition priority areas and typhoon-stricken areas, aims to contribute to the prevention of stunting by improving the quality and quantity of food and nutrient intakes and utilization of related Early Childhood Care and Development Intervention Package for the First 1,000 Days (ECCD F1KD) services among nutritionally at-risk pregnant women and children 6-23 months old in the target Tutok Kainan program areas. In Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), the identified priority area is the province of Apayao and the target beneficiaries are 6-23 months old children who are stunted and wasted.
One hundred eighty-two (182) children from 46 barangays in Calanasan, Conner, Flora, Kabugao, Pudtol, and Sta. Marcela were identified to be beneficiaries of the TK DSP. The feeding program will last for 180 days, seven days a week from Sunday to Saturday. For the feeding scheme, complementary food products from the Food and Nutrition Research Institute will be given to the beneficiaries on the 1st month. Come the 2nd until the 6th month, a combination of wet feeding and dry ration will now be implemented.
Aside from the dietary supplementation, the beneficiaries will also receive nutrition education through text blasting dubbed as the Nutritext. The Nutritext aims to encourage the targets to adopt positive behaviors and actions on nutrition, prenatal and postpartum checkups, water, sanitation and hygiene, responsible parenting, and other ECCD-related messages. The messages will follow NNC’s key messages depending on the gestational age of pregnancy and/or age of child.
SIMON B. COPEZ & BELLA M. BASALONG
Reference:
(2021, December 11). Tutok Kainan Program. National Nutrition Council. https://nnc.gov.ph/plans-and-programs/tutok-kainan-program
