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Is it still possible to create affordable yet nutritious dishes during this COVID-19 pandemic? The answer is - Yes. It is during these trying times that mothers need to be extra creative in cooking dishes that are simple, easy to prepare, easy on the pocket, and most importantly, nutritious. We all need to be healthy to fight off infections (particularly, coronavirus!) and this starts by having good nutrition.
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The Coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 has changed the world in many ways possible. It changed the way we live, the way we do things and communicate, among many others.
The National Nutrition Council (NNC) shifted its activities in the “new’ normal” by making use of digital platforms in conducting meetings, trainings and other promotional activities. This is in accordance with the public health measures such as no mass gatherings and physical distancing to prevent transmission of the virus or lower the risk of infection due to COVID-19.
Read more: Regional Media Group NCR2 to scale up nutrition promotion through digital campaign
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One of the efforts of the government to combat the Coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) pandemic is the imposition of an Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ). While this measure is necessary and beneficial, a number of employees and workers have been laid off from work and have found themselves in need of financial assistance. In response to this, the government put in place the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) wherein members of vulnerable sectors, Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries, and informal economy workers receive financial assistance.
However, due to budget constraints, not all families are eligible to the program. The Quezon City government addressed this by implementing their Kalingang QC Program that extends financial assistance to families who were excluded from the SAP. Each qualified family is given cash assistance of Php 2000.00. The city government recognizes lactating or breastfeeding mothers as among the vulnerable groups and thus, included them as beneficiaries of the program.
Read more: Kalingang QC Program includes Lactating Mothers as Beneficiaries
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Amid this COVID-19 Pandemic, the Regional Nutrition Committee (RNC) through RNC Resolution No. 1, Series 2020, “Declaring the New Priority Areas of the RNC’s Shepherding Project”, will continue to mentor priority local government units (LGUs) through its Shepherding Project. The project aims to assist LGUs in improving their nutrition program management resulting to improved nutrition situation, ensure that regular monitoring is provided, and facilitate the dissemination of current issues and concerns on the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) to these LGUs.
Starting this year, the cities of Caloocan, Pasay, Manila and Quezon City will be the new priority areas of the project. These four (4) cities are among the highly populated LGUs in the region. If these areas will be mentored through the project, and with the leadership and political will of their local chief executives in implementing their comprehensive nutrition program anchored on the PPAN, the RNC believes that they can make a significant contribution in the nutrition improvement of the entire region.
Read more: NCR RNC’s Shepherding Project targets new priority LGUs in 2020
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The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many families to experience hunger. The latest survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) revealed that the number of Filipino families that went hungry increased from 8.8%, or around 2.1 million families, in December 2019 to 16.7%, or an estimated of 4.2 million families, in May 2020.
The increase in hunger incidence can be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic and to the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) implemented in the country which left many people with no source of income and money to buy food.
In response to hunger and food insecurity, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte formed the QC-Food Security Task Force (QC-FSTF) to ensure household food security amid the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the QC-FSTF’s initial program is the Urban Agriculture Program in partnership with the Department of Agriculture which promotes urban vegetable gardening among the city’s residents.
Read more: Quezon City’s #GrowLokal urges families to grow own food to prevent hunger
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Smoking is bad for your health - a phrase we commonly hear and say, but sadly many still continue to smoke.
So, why is smoking a bad habit?
Based on the World Health Organization, smoking means being in possession or control of a lit tobacco product. All forms of tobacco are harmful, and there is no safe level of exposure to tobacco. Cigarette smoking is the most common form of tobacco use worldwide.
Tobacco kills more than 8 million people globally every year. More than 7 million of these deaths are from direct tobacco use and around 1.2 million are due to non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke.
In the Philippines, people still smoke even if it poses a lot of health risks and diseases such as stroke, heart disease, emphysema, various cancers and nicotine addiction. Based on the 2015 Updating Survey of the Nutritional Status of Filipino Children and Other Population Groups, 23.3% of Filipino adults (20 years old and above) are current smokers or those who smoke daily or on a regular basis of at least one cigarette a day. What is alarming is the prevalence of current smokers among adolescents 10-19 years old at 5.5%.
To raise awareness on the ill effects of smoking, as well as to encourage smokers to give up the habit, June was declared as National No-Smoking Month through Presidential Proclamation No. 183, s.1993.
