Persistence, Action, Service, Innovation and Good Governance best describe the Pasig City Nutrition Committee (CNC) chaired by former First Lady and City Mayor of Pasig from 2013-2016, Honorable Maria Belen A. Eusebio. During her term, Mayor Maribel made nutrition a priority program of her administration.
Mayor Maribel has always envisioned Pasigueños to be empowered, educated, healthy and productive citizens residing in self-reliant barangays. Through her expert stewardship, the CNC, with its goal of improving the health and nutritional status of the Pasigueños, continued to reinvent and innovate in implementing nutrition interventions.
The CNC intensified its Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) Program to ensure that proper nutrition is provided during the First 1000 Days of the child. Breastfeeding and proper complementary feeding is widely promoted through lectures, film showing, counseling, cooking demonstration and distribution of nutrition information, education and communication (IEC) materials. The Breastfeeding Support Groups remains active and functional through the continuous mentoring and supervision of the nutritionist-dietitians of the city. Pregnant and lactating women are provided with iron-folate supplements purchased by the city government. Service Delivery Networks (SDN) were created by the Pasig Health Department in coordination with the private birthing facilities. To create an enabling environment for breastfeeding mothers and their babies, fully equipped breastfeeding stations were established in all the health centers, at the Pasig City Hall and other government facilities. “Buntis Congress” is regularly held to influence pregnant mothers to breastfeed their infants.
The CNC member agencies conduct supplementary feeding programs to mitigate hunger and rehabilitate underweight and waster preschool children. The LGU-funded Tsibug Pampalusog School Feeding Program that started 10 years ago continues to provide nutritious meals prepared by trained Tsibug cooks to wasted Kinder to Grade 6 pupils in all the twenty eight (28) public elementary schools. Integrated into the program are corollary activities such as the treatment and management of tuberculosis in children and supplementation of multivitamins with iron. The city government also augments the fund for DepEd’s school-based feeding program.
Nutrition education program is done year-round to improve the nutrition knowledge, attitude and practices of both mothers and children. Pabasa sa Nutrisyon with Egg and Veggie Syllabi are conducted for mothers in all barangays. The 10 Kumainments and Pinggang Pinoy are promoted in all barangays through lectures, film showing, and distribution of IEC materials. The city government provides funds for the eprinting of nutrition IEC materials on 10 Kumainments, Pinggang Pinoy and other nutrition messages. Children are educated on the value of good eating habits and personal hygiene through the Lingap Bulilit Mascot presentation that features the city’s very own mascots Paz and Ige and a cast of other characters (Go, Glow and Grow mascots). Nutrition story telling sessions and film showing using puppet videos are likewise conducted among day care pupils.
The administration of Mayor Maribel also made sure that there are enough nutrition workers and that they are well compensated. Additional Nutritionist-Dietitians were hired, school nurses were deployed in all the public elementary schools and existing BNSs were promoted to casual status.
Health facilities were upgraded. Four (4) Super Health Centers were constructed providing 24- hour service (Lying-in, emergency care, laboratory, ultra sound). The construction of the CHAMP (Center for Dialysis, Healthy Lifestyle, Ambulatory Surgery, Maternity Newborn Care Clinic) and the Pasig City Children’s Hospital are a first of its kind in NCR.
Various pocket gardens and parks such as the RAVE Park were established to promote healthy lifestyle among Pasigueños. A Fitness Gym at the Pasig City Hall was constructed for the city employees. Bike for Life, Carless Day and Zumbaerobics sessions are conducted on a regular basis.
These projects helped the City Nutrition Committee in improving the city’s nutrition situation. For the last three (3) years, there was a continuous decline in the prevalence of underweight, wasting, stunting and overnutrition among the children 0-71 months old. Likewise, a continous decline in the prevalence of wasting was noted among public elementary school pupils.
With continued persistence, action, service, innovation and good governance, the City Government of Pasig will attain its goal of having healthy, well-nourished and productive Pasigueños.
