26 July 2013 – Coinciding with the observation of Nutrition Month, around 1,000 school children from Sumilang Elementary School in Barangay San Jose, Antipolo City benefitted from the 1st Regional Nutrition Service Caravan jointly spearheaded by the Regional Development Council (RDC) and the National Nutrition Council (NNC) of Region IV-A Calabarzon in cooperation with the city government of Antipolo and the provincial government of Rizal.
Elementary and day care students were given health and nutrition services such as: medical and dental, nutrition assessment and counseling, lectures, film showing, information campaign on deworming, among others. Selected families also received seedlings and food packs as beneficiaries of the ‘Food-For-Work’ program by the DSWD which then encouraged the families to be self-sufficient through planting.
NNC 4A Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator Carina Z. Santiago said that the convergence of different national government agencies in Antipolo City showed their desire and commitment to fight and end hunger and malnutrition in the country.
Meanwhile, National Economic Development Authority (NEDA 4A) Regional Director and RDC Acting-Chairman Ms. Agnes Espinas said that the event is not a one-stop activity. Rather, RDC will continue to monitor the development of the community and its people. Furthermore, she said that the nutrition service caravan was hoped to be replicated in the other areas of the region.
Antipolo City Mayor Jun Ynares was grateful for having the nutrition service caravan and he said - “I’ll have to admit that at this moment the state of malnutrition in the city is alarming. I’m looking deeper into the cause and reviewing the nutrition program of the city to make it more responsive. Changes have to be done and this activity moves us on the right track.” Mayor Ynares added that the activity was timely since he has prioritized addressing the issue of malnutrition in the city.
National government agencies and organizations who lend their support in the activity includes the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), Department of Health - Center for Health Development (DOH), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Technical Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Toll Regulatory Board (TRB), Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), National College of Science and Technology (NCST), University of Rizal System (URS), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Environ Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), National Food Authority (NFA), International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR), Population Commission (PopCom), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Kabisig ng Kalahi, and the Communicator’s Network for Nutrition IV-A (CNN 4A).
