Hunger is one of the leading causes of death in the world.
Our planet has provided us with tremendous resources, but unequal access and inefficient handling leave millions of people malnourished and it has to be addressed as soon as possible to save lives across the world.
The advocacy of the Municipality of Talavera is to combat hunger and malnutrition, to provide food security as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. The program that serves as our milestone to become a healthy municipality is the Food Bank.
Based on the Municipal Nutrition Office and Municipal Social and Welfare Development Office statistics show that 25,803 or 18.9% of the total population of Talavera do not get enough food to eat (Source DSWD 2017 data); 3.9% are senior citizen, 3.9% are employed agriculture, 495 or 4.46 are undernourished and 0.9% of the total population are nutritionally at risk pregnant in the year 2020. This only signifies that there is a need to establish programs that will cater and address the problems to fight hunger.
To intensify and strengthen the implementation of different programs which are essential to surpass hunger, the Municipal Ordinance No.14-2019 “An Ordinance Creating Zero Hunger Inter-Sectoral Task Force in the Municipality of Talavera” was enacted. This task force is composed of the Local Chief Executive, Councilor SB Committee on Health, President Association of the Barangays, President of the Federation of Sangguniang Kabataan, Municipal Social and Welfare Development Officer, Municipal Health Officer, Rural Health Physician, Municipal Agricultural Officer, Business Permit Licensing Officer, Municipal Nutrition Action Officer, Non-Government Organization and Establishment Owners. They collaborated and cooperated in planning, developing and organizing programs which will benefit all the recipients who are nutritionally at risk.
In essence, nutrition is upper most for the Local Government Unit who believes that no “Talaveranos” should be left behind.
In adherence to Goal 2 of the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations which is “Zero-Hunger”’, the Sangguniang Bayan Members of Talavera together with the Municipal Mayor, Nerivi Santos-Martinez spearheaded and enacted the Municipal Ordinance No. 15-2019 dated October 28, 2019 creating a Food Bank in the Municipality of Talavera, providing guidelines for the donation, operation, storage and distribution of healthy and nutritious cooked meals to less fortunate members of the community in the Municipality of Talavera.
The food bank provides an avenue for civic-oriented individuals, wholesalers/distributors, local retailers, company, groups or charitable institutions to become a partner of the Local Government Unit. The municipal ordinance paved the way for all establishments engaged in selling either retail or wholesale of non-perishable goods such as canned goods, long-shelf life foods shall donate, deposit and allocated any or all unconsumed foodstuff seven (7) days before expiration as indicated in the packaging. On the other hand, everybody is encouraged to sponsor daily meals or donate goods and foodstuff to cover the day to day preparation.
The food bank of the Municipality of Talavera is located at Barangay Esguerra, Talavera, Nueva Ecija. It is open from Monday to Sunday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. It is operated and managed exclusively by the Municipal Government of Talavera together with the member of the Municipal Nutrition Committee and in close coordination and cooperation with the Barangay Nutrition Scholars, Barangay Health Workers, Rural Improvement Club (RIC) and Volunteers. It has a spacious area which is intended to store supplies and equipment used for its daily operation; cooking will be done in the allotted kitchen in the same area.
The members of the Municipal Nutrition Committee being the front liners and operators of the food bank, are the ones accountable in the receiving of all donations whether in cash, in kind or in goods. The preparation and distribution of cooked meals to be served for the daily operation are likewise handled by the members of the Municipal Nutrition Committee. They also checked the expiration dates of all donated canned goods, pasta, bottled drinks, juices and spices while perishable goods should be stored in temperature-controlled freezers or refrigerators keep them from immediate spoilage. They also ensure that the food that they serve the beneficiaries is clean and safe.
Recognized as “The Vegetable Basket of Nueva Ecija” Talavera provides fresh harvested vegetables supplement the hot meals to be provided by the Food Bank; the Gulayan sa Barangay at Bakuran program is one of the flagship program of Mayor Nerivi Santos-Martinez. The program aims to put food on the table as part of food security of the Municipality.
The “Gulayan sa Barangay at Bakuran” programs also became part of this ordinance because some of the harvested vegetables given and delivered to the food bank which are used for feeding programs. This has enabled the municipality to sustain the program and continue to provide food assistance to its recipients such as the poorest among the poor, undernourished children, pregnant, lactating and senior citizen of Talavera.
In the midst of the pandemic, the food bank is able to distribute “vegie packs” to 53 barangays in Talavera. The beneficiaries were the 497 pregnant women and 495 undernourished children. They were also given “nutribuns” which provided supplemental nutrients to a total of 9,572 packs; 2,325 senior citizen, 569 pregnant women, 1,023 lactating women, 495 undernourished children and 5,160 pooresr among the poor. Through the effort of the committee “hot meals” were distributed during the pandemic wherein the recipients were 200 senior citizen, 569 pregnant, 1,023 lactating women, 228 undernourished children and 5,160 poorest among the poor.
Through the endless efforts and commitment of the members of the Inter-Sectoral Task Force in the Municipality of Talavera to secure zero-hunger. In all the aim to provide solution to combat hunger were met thru the implementation of the food bank. The success is due to the cooperation of all stakeholder and partners whose aim to protect the vulnerable sector of the society was met.
Indeed, all barangays turned out to be cooperative and later united as one Talavera in promoting and aiming to be “Zero-Hunger”.
Keeping together is progress, working together is success.
By: Mr. Arjhay Bernardo, Municipal Nutrition Action Officer, Talavera, Nueva Ecija
