The ANAK program or the Assist in Nourishing A Kid program of the City Government of Ilagan has benefitted 1,262 day-care children thru its Supplemental Feeding Program for the year 2015 in 91 barangays of this City.
Since the implementation of the Assist in Nourishing A Kid (ANAK) program, specifically the Supplemental Feeding Program (SFP), in 2010, the program greatly reduced the number of malnourished and undernourished children in the City of Ilagan.
Data from the City Health Office revealed that based on their Operation Timbang , the number of underweight children have been reduced to 1.30% in 2013, to .61% in 2014 and . 47% in 2015. For the underweight children, we have a notable decrease from 4.41% in 2013, down to 3.08% in 2014, and continually decreased to 2.23% in 2015.
Insofar as normal children are concerned, it increased from 93.20% in 2013, to 95.08% in 2014, to a high of 96.62% in 2015.
Under the ANAK program, the main benefactor in this program is the Bethesda Ministries International, based in Baguio City, Benguet, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Region 2. Bethesda continuously supplies the vitamin-rich Vitameal Food Supplement which costs Php 2,000.00/bag and Dried Vegetable Soup Mix.
For SY 2015, we were given 200 boxes of Vitameal, costing Php 2.4 million. The DSWD R2 likewise, gave financial assistance in all 128 day-care centers of the City of Ilagan. On the other hand, the City Government of Ilagan supplied the rice subsidy and other assistance for viand.
The Supplemental Feeding Program under the ANAK is an integrated Health and Nutrition program which “feeds the body and nourishing the soul” not only to the day care children but their parents as well. Monthly values education are conducted to parents of these children and also other topics like food and nutrition, responsible parenthood, family planning and the like.
Mayor Jay Diaz, on the other hand, continuously supports the program by allocating Php .5 million every year to supplement rice and for viand.
For the year 2015, aside from the parents, other sectors also participated like the following:
1. Bethesda Ministries International, Tuding, Itogon, Benguet
2. Pinacanauan Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons (Feeding program at Alibagu Elementary School, 63 children for 2 months)
3. Ilagan Association of Women (ILAW) and Parents Group in 51 barangays and 91 day-care centers for food preparation/marketing/feeding.
4. The United Methodist Church (Arusip)
5. First Gate Restaurant and Catering Services for the feeding program at Barangays Osmena and Bagumbayan.
6. Youth Center of the City of Ilagan.
7. Cab 6-24 Elementary School PTA.
In addition, the City Government purchased steel rule to be used in wooden height board thru the courtesy of the Sangguniang Kabataan under the auspices of their President, Jay Eveson C. Diaz. This is a project of the SK Federation for all the 91 barangay health centers of the City. Said height boards ensure the correctness of measuring the length of 0-23 months old and the height and weight of 24-71 months old children.
This innovative project of the local government unit symbolizes the commitment and dedication of the leadership in ensuring the accuracy of getting the height and weight of the Ilagueno children.
Indeed, like Mayor Jay Diaz always said: “Every child must live in all its fullness… our prayer to every heart, the will to make it so…” And the City Government fulfills this prayer, wholeheartedly.
