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Even as the National Nutrition Council (NNC) Cordillera claimed huge success of its 2015 Operation Timbang among 0-71 month children in the region, 18 municipalities in Abra remain with undernutrition prevalence of 10 percent – or even more.
Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator Rita D. Papey identified these towns as Lacub, Malibcong, Tineg, Lagayan, Villaviciosa, Langiden, Licuan-Baay, San Isidro, Bangued, San Quintin, Tayum, Manabo, La Paz, Pidigan, Bucay, Bucloc, Danglas, and Daguiman.
Papey added that there are six municipalities in the province with undernutrition prevalence more than the regional average at 4.45 percent but below 10 percent. These are: Pilar, Lagangilang, Luba, Sallapadan, Tubo and Boliney.
Meanwhile, the towns of Peñarrubia, Dolores and San Juan have undernutrition prevalence equal to or better than the regional average at 4.45 percent.
In Apayao and Kalinga provinces, Papey said all municipalities are with prevalence more than the regional average at 4.45 percent but below 10 percent except Lubuagan, Kalinga with undernutrition prevalence equal to or better than the regional average at 4.45 percent.
In Baguio, Benguet, Ifugao and Mountain Province, all municipalities are with undernutrition prevalence equal to or better than the regional average at 4.45 percent, except Paracelis and Besao in Mountain Province which have more than the regional average at 4.45 percent but below 10 percent.
Papey said that the nutritional status of preschool children in the regions shows that there are 188, 294 who are normal, 7,069 underweight, 1,794 severely underweight and 1,872 overweight. In addition, it was concluded that problems on undernutrition (underweight, wasting, and stunting) still persist in the region with a growing concern on overnutrition.
Papey ended that through education, feeding programs and other schemes, the nutritional status of these children will be improved. - Ian Jefrey Addatu
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BONTOC, Mountain Province, Apr. 6 (PIA) - -Fifty eight nutrition workers from across the Cordillera participated in the Regional Nutrition Federation first semestral meeting here last week
Rita Papey, Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator, said they discussed nutrition programs and projects updates and sharing of experiences.
Bella Basalong of the National Nutrition Council-Cordillera presented the Sustainable Development Goals 2015-2030 focusing on Goal No. 2 which aims to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.
Presentation on the Scaling Up Nutrition in the Philippines was also an eye-opener to most of the participants, Papey added.
The results of the 2015 Operation Timbang (OPT) Plus which revealed the current status of each municipalities in region in terms of the prevalence of under nutrition of preschool children was likewise presented. Abra has the most number of municipalities and Lacub as the highest number of underweight preschool children.
Updates were also given on the upcoming activities such as the conduct of the Monitoring and Evaluation of Local Level Plan Implementation (MELLPI) in the provinces.
Some resolutions by the Regional Nutrition Committee to improve the nutrition status in the region were also presented. These are on the promotion of the production and consumption of indigenous crops, native livestock and endemic fisheries; promotion of the Apayao State College Complementary Food Processing Product; organization of Infant and Young Child Feeding support groups and encouraging LGUs to designate their BNS/BHW to collect data on the number of pregnant and lactating mothers, and under five children in the evacuation centers during disasters for inclusion in the evacuation center information board and submission to HEMS region if evacuees stay in the evacuation center for more than three days. (JDP/MAWC – PIA CAR with reports from Carol Donaal of NNC-CAR)
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BANGUED, Abra – Twenty-eight Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS) in the province underwent a basic course for nutrition, a program that reminded them of their roles and functions as key providers of nutrition and health services in communities.
Maryjune Adriatico of the Provincial Nutrition Council said the BNS from Malibcong, La Paz, Bangued, and Pidigan were trained on writing ans accomplishing action plan on nutrition.
She added there is a need to include nutrition and health programs in the barangay calendar of activities and enjoined participants to initiate the institutionalization of Barangay Nutriiton Council.
BNS are an important standard contingent of the Provincial Nutrition Council in conducting health and nutrition programs and Operation Timbang to day care centers and elementary schools.
The BNS is a human resource development strategy of the government, which involves the recruitment, training deployment of volunteer workers.
It is implemented by virtue of Presidential Decree 1569, which mandates the deployment of one BNS in every village in the country to monitor the nutritional status of kids.
A person who wants to become a BNS must undergo 30-day training where they are briefed on several ways by which they can prevent or save children from malnutrition, since they serve as the front liners in providing basic health and nutrition service to their communities.
Among their specific duties include identifying malnourished children by visiting each house in their areas of jurisdiction and weighing the kids.
With the help of BNS, a malnourished child is subjected to interventions provided by the local government unit such as feeding program and counseling.
For the feeding program, the LGUs can tap private groups or organizations to be their partners. Through counseling, mothers are taught ways on how to nurture their kids to make sure they grow healthy.
BNS are expected to mobilize the community to organize into groups or community-based organizations working for the improvement of kid’s nutritional situation.
They also serve as linkage-builder to ensure each member of the community avail of nutrition and related services. – Ginalyn B. Brioso
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- Category: Region CAR
Camote (impoea batatas) has many names in the Cordillera such as Ubi, tugui (kankanaey), gattuk (tuwali), lapne (Tuwali, Ayangan), atila (kalinga), dukto(Ibaloi), Lukto(Knkanaey, kalanguya, etc.). It is an herbaceous perennial vine that has palmately lobed leavess and bears large starchy sweet tasting tuberous roots. The plant has a wide variety with tubers in different colors, sweetness and moisture conetnt. Camote is a staple food in the Philippines and other countries as Uganda, Japan, and Papua New Guinea.
There are claims that the plant was doemsticated 5000 BC and have originated in Central America. Camote is considered and indegenous crop in the Cordillera grown by almost every family before the advent of modernization. It served as staple food for domisticated animals. Eraly Codillerans cosidered rice as a special gift from Kabunyan and such a premium staple food with some cultures revolve around the rice cycle. Unfortunately, the limitations of the local environments allowed only few families (the kadangyans or the local rich who owns a larger area of the rice terraces) to produce rice for year round consumption. The majority of families considered commoners therefore consume more camote than rice in a year.
Today, camote is hardly part of the diet of present day Cordillerans. The increased buying capacity of the population made almost every family able to buy rice and more sophisticated food commodities from the market food and animal consumption. As a result, the Cordillerans ignored and forgot camote. Today, camote could no longer be classified as food for the poor because it has become very expensive and often difficult to find in the market. Cordillerans should recognize camote as a nutritious food for good health and its other benefits and let it abound again.
Camote as food during disaster and emergencies
Camote can be an important food commodity during disasters and emergencies. In disasters and emergencies where the food supply is adversely affected, camote could be the savinbg grace. Camote is reilient crop that can grow in almost all ares in the region andand with a good campaign. It would not be difficult to have evey family in farming communities start growing camote and insure a supply of camote and contribute to ffod security in times of the worst disasters affecting food supply. Dug camote can be stocked for more than a month and taste becomes sweeter with storage. Rural families can also start relearning the indegenous technologies on preserving camote.
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There is a need to conduct further studies on child feeding practices, impact of teenage centers in preventing teenage pregnancies, over and under nutrition, and nutritional values of meals consisting indigenous food.
These were among the inputs gathered during the recent Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology stakeholders’ forum, which aimed to generate ideas, insights and perspectives, towards the development of 2016-2020 FNRI Research and Development Agenda in Food and Nutrition in the region.
The inputs generated for the first 1,000(days of a Child) include the needs for further studies on local infant and young child feeding practices, factors affecting in low pre-natal and post natal check-up, impact of the establishment of teen centers in the reduction of teenage pregnancies in the region, and recipe book for pregnant women.
For over and under nutrition, the participants want impact studies addressing malnutrition, intensify information/advocacy campaign, and research on the nutritional values of indigenous meals and local food products, the forum was aimed to stimulate research and development of innovative interventions to meet the challenges existing nutrition problems, FNRI Director Mario Capanzana said.
The FNRI wants to get stakeholders’ feedback on the researches the agency has been doing for them to develop interventions that are more responsive to the present nutrition situation.
The participants were ask to identify the research and development needs today and beyond , focusing on the first 1,000 days, under nutrition, over nutrition, micro nutrient deficiencies, indigenous people, differently abled and senior citizens, gender equality and other nutrition concerns. The forum, which was participated in by top leaders of government and non-government organizations, partner industries, and local government officials, was anchored on the theme “Responding to the needs of every Juan and Juana for improved quality life.”
During the workshop, the participants were divided into four groups com posed of local government units, regional line agencies, small and medium enterprises, and the academe. Maria Aprila Cruz
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BANGUED, Abra – The Provincial Nutrition Council (PNC) is urged to intensify its advocacy and work on nutrition in the province.
Dr. Virginia Narciso of the Department of Health Cordillera made the call since malnutrition and infant –child mortality rate in the province is rather alarming.
Narcisio said Abra has topped malnutrition rates in the region for years. It also topped in neonatal mortality rate in the region in 2013, under five mortality rate in 2014, and second in infant mortality rate in 2014.
“The high prevalence of child malnutrition and these mortality rates are parallel. If a child is malnourished, he is prone and more at risk to developing illnesses that may lead to his untimely death,” she said.
Narciso said the interventions and programs implemented by the PNC may not be appropriate to address these concerns.
She added some gaps hinder the success of their interventions, like lack of advocacy, inadequate support from top management, lack of awareness of mothers in preparing food, and poor feeding practices.
“Mothers should be oriented on how to feed their children. Enforce strict implementation of exclusive breastfeeding to new born up to six months old.” She said.
She also Urged the PNC members and health workers especially the Provincial Health Office, Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office, Department of Agriculture, and Provincial Planning Development Office to look into the matter to develop sustainable programs. – Ginalyn B. Brioso
