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The global COVID-19 pandemic has posed challenges to various sectors, including the basic education sector. Schools and community learning centers have been closed for physical conduct of classes, as part of government measures to contain COVID-19.
As a response, the Department of Education under the “Masustansiyang Pagkain para sa Batang Pilipino” Act (RA 11037) has developed the Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan (BE-LCP) which lays out the Department’s learning delivery strategy and operational direction that ensures the health, safety, and well-being of all DepEd learners and personnel.
“OK talaga sa DepED” or Oplan Kalusugan sa DepEd major programs include the School-Based Feeding Program-Milk Feeding Component. The Milk feeding program caters to school learners from Kinder to Grade 6 who are wasted and severely wasted. On 8 September 2020, a dry run for the milk feeding program implementation was conducted in the South Central School, Division of City of Gapan, Nueva Ecija (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0Gy4hSf10o). Three (3) barangay schools were pre-identified as the drop-off point of milk in sachets namely, Barangay Maburak Elementary School, Mangino Elementary School and San Roque Elementary School. The teaching and non-teaching personnel oriented the parents on the procedures in availing the commodity: 1) parents to pick up the milk direct from the designated school; 2) assigned DepED personnel to hand-over or distribute the milk in sachets; and 3) advise the parents to store milk properly to ensure freshness and safety.
Read more: DepED’s Alternative Feeding Program to Counter COVID-19 Pandemic
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November 2020 marks the 28th year of the National Children's Month, which focuses on Upholding Children's Rights during the COVID 19 pandemic, with the theme, “Sama-samang Itaguyod ang Karapatan ng mga Bata sa Panahon ng Pandemya.”
As an active member of the Regional Sub-Committee for the Welfare of Children (RSCWC) in Central Luzon, staff of the National Nutrition Council - Region III altogether recited the Kapampangan and Tagalog versions of the Panatang Makabata. The video clip (https://www.facebook.com/237515169629299/videos/398291578222545/) of the panata was also posted in the facebook page of the NNC-Region III to encourage its network to do the same and to disseminate the message on upholding chidren’s right during the pandemic. The Panatang Makabata will also be recited in all of the NNC’s activities online.
In unison with the other RSCWC members, the Council also hanged a tarpaulin-streamer in front of its office, continuously aired radio and TV plugs on First 1000 Days through its local media partners (RWFM 95.1 and CLTV 36), feature articles on nutrition of pre-school, school chidren and adolescents on its web and facebook page all throughout the month of November to encourage mothers and caregivers to nourish their children, as basic nutrition is key to child’s development and survival.
Read more: NNC-Region III Celebrates the 28th year of the National Children's Month
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All Souls Day is a fitting occasion to honor Dr. Marcelo Y. Jaochico, a man who was instrumental in the revitalization of the Provincial Nutrition Committee of Pampanga Province.
Dr. Jaochico who may had battled the invisible coronavirus disease (COVID-19), succumbed on 24 March 2020. This special article is dedicated to him by the nutrition community, for remaining faithful to his mission and for being a model of profound love and service to his fellow Filipino.
NNC-Region III staff’ first encounter with Dr. Mar was during the 2018 Provincial Nutrition Awarding Ceremony organized by the province when he expressed his dream for the nutrition program of the Province of Pampanga.
NNC-Region III NPC Ana Maria B. Rosaldo recounted how the late Dr. Marcelo Y. Jaochico, Provincial Health Officer of the Provincial Health Office of Pampanga pushed for the designation of Ms. Elaine S. Tinambunan as Provincial Nutrition Action Officer during the First Reconvening Meeting of the PNC on 29 October 2019. He said that “someone has to take full responsibility of the nutrition program because nutrition is such a huge task of coordination and collaborative work”. He humbly offered his commitment and full support to Ms. Tinambunan in running the nutrition program of the province, “which he fulfilled up to the time he was called by our creator”, according to PNAO Tinambunan.
Dr. Mar was the former Municipal Nutrition Action Officer of Minalin, Pampanga. Thus, he knows that managing a nutrition program requires more time, full attention and special skills on coordination and dealing with people.
The First Reconvening Meeting of the PNC was fruitful and engaging because of the ideas injected by Dr. Mar and members of the PNC, as they recall that Pampanga Province was a performer in nutrition program before and was also a recipient of the prestigious “green banner” award. And everyone was committed and motivated to regain the glory of the province.
February 19, 2020, month before he left this world, Dr. Mar sent an SMS to NNC through PNAO Tinambunan, which says (verbatim) “Gusto ko ipaabot mo sa NNC- must have a close coordination with DepEd the causes of dropouts in public schools are malnutrition, illnesses and teenage pregnancy – quality of education is also deteriorating despite of having good teachers in private school kaya malaki ang role ng NNC and Popcom to combat these causes”. His SMS sounded like a “habilin” or a reminder to NNC-Region III on not to neglect the malnourished school children, NPC Rosaldo responded that the concern will be discussed with DepEd, Popcom and during the meeting of the Central Luzon Regional Nutrition Committee.
Dr. Mar must have anticipated the Results of Expanded National Nutrition Survey Part 2 Dissemination Forum of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology held on 29 October 2020 which showed that underweight, stunting and wasting among school children remain to be prevalent in the province at 18.8%, 15.2% and 9.2%, respectively. There were more underweight and wasted school children among males and in poor households. Stunted school-age children were mostly females and in poor households. Anemia prevalence is at 14.1% and was higher than the national estimate and was considered a “mild” public health problem.
As the above narrative recounted NNC’s encounter with Dr. Marcelo Y. Jaochico, below is a more deeper description of who Dr. Mar really is based on a TV interview of her daughter Cielo entitled “Mga Bayani sa Panahon ng Covid-19 pandemic (please watch the link: ABS-CBN facebook.com/watch).
Who is Dr. Marcelo Jaochico y Yabut?
Read more: NNC-Region III Honors Dr. Marcelo Y. Jaochico this All Souls Day
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Agriculture Secretary William Dar cited innovation-based and technology-based approaches as the more formidable approach to increase agricultural productivity. (Marie Joy S. Carbungco/PIA-3)
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga, Sep. 15 (PIA) -- Agriculture Secretary William Dar said there are only two ways to increase agricultural productivity in the country.
In his visit in Magalang town, Dar said increase in hectarage, and technology-based and innovation-based approach are the keys to enhance yield of farmers.
“Since we have only limitations for increasing hectarages due to the inadequate expansion area, the more formidable approach would be what I call technology-based and innovation-based approach. For example, there are newer varieties of rice that can give you six to 10 tons per hectare. So why continue to use those varieties that can only give you three to five metric tons,” he said.
Read more: Increased hectarage, innovations, key to increased agri productivity
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Agriculture Secretary William Dar encourages Kapampangan youth to engage themselves in agriculture as he talks about the agency’s different programs. (Marie Joy S. Carbungco/PIA-3)
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga, Sep. 15 (PIA) -- The Department of Agriculture (DA) encourages Kapampangan youth to engage themselves in agriculture through the agency’s different programs.
In his visit in Magalang town, Agriculture Secretary William Dar stressed that the agriculture sector now is in dire need of young farmers.
“You know, I am a staunch advocate to bring in more young people in government and in agri-business. That is why we at the department have come up with programs that will aid and attract the young generation to get engaged,” Dar said.
Among these programs, he said, is the Mentoring and Attracting Youth in Agribusiness (MAYA), which gives the younger generation a chance to participate in the monitoring and evaluation of projects on the ground.
Read more: DA urges Kapampangan youth to engage in agriculture
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The NNC-Region III finds it but fitting to honor the dearly departed members of the nutrition community this All Souls Day who have been faithful and committed to their mission of “Nurturing the Filipino Towards a Stronger Nation” while still here on earth.
Firstly, we honor and pray for the soul of President Ferdinand E. Marcos, the man behind the creation of the National Nutrition Council (NNC) when he signed Presidential Decree 491 or the Nutrition Act of the Philippines on 25 June 1974 declaring nutrition as a priority concern.
This decree likewise created the NNC Governing Board (GB), which was then composed of the following:
The Secretary, Department of Education and Culture
The Chairman-Coordinator, National Food and Agriculture Council
The Secretary, Department of Health
The Secretary, National Science and Development Board
The Secretary, Department of Social Welfare
The Secretary, Department of Local Government and Community Development
The Chairman of the Nutrition Foundation of the Philippines
President, Philippine Medical Association
One other representative of the private sector to be appointed by the President of the Philippines.
The role of the NNC as the highest policy-making and coordinating body on nutrition and in orchestrating improvements in nutrition cannot be over emphasized without the guidance, indefatigable passion and steadfast commitment of its early leaders, who were true nutrition champions.
Read more: NNC-Region III Honors Departed Members of the Nutrition Community this All Souls Day
