Hailed as the World’s Best and Friendliest Island for its idyllic landscape and captivating sceneries. With its crystal-clear waters, stunning limestone formations, and amiable hospitality of the people, it is no wonder that Palawan has become a major tourist hub in the country. As the largest province in the Philippines, Palawan consists of 23 municipalities and 367 barangays, most of which are situated on remote islands.
In the past years, Palawan has been critically associated with high incidence of malnutrition and other health-related maladies plaguing the far-flung communities. The extremely vast geographical condition of Palawan makes it difficult for the local officials and health warriors to provide basic services to the vulnerable communities, especially children and pregnant women. In MIMAROPA, Palawan has consistently recorded a high Malnutrition Prevalence Rate (MPR) or malnourished children in the barangays.
These pressing circumstances have compelled the National Nutrition Council (NNC), under the Department of Health (DOH), and other government and non-government agencies, to take pragmatic steps to address this perennial challenge to uplift the health and nutrition status of Palaweño families.
HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT
Anchored on the mandate of DOH and NNC, the Palawan Provincial Nutrition Council under the Provincial Government of Palawan, was established to cascade the implementation of various programs and projects on nutrition at the local level. One of these is the Food Always in the Home (FAITH) Project which gives attention to barangays with high incidence of MPR.
FAITH project promotes sustainable development on agricultural programs in response to food security in every household through backyard gardening. Part of the project is the series of lecture-demonstrations and workshops to all the parents who have recorded with malnourished children. The nutrition council conducts closed monitoring and evaluation.
The province of Palawan is also implementing a Malnutrition Reduction Program across the province to address the nutritional needs in the marginalized sector. Under nutrition specific programs are micronutrient supplementation, deworming activity, complementary feeding program, mother’s class nutrition education campaign, and Integrated Community Food Production which includes distribution of vegetable seeds as well as the implementation of the “Garantisadong Pambata Program.”
The Provincial Government of Palawan under the able leadership of Gov. Jose Ch. Alvarez and Vice-Governor V. Dennis M. Socrates set a development agenda that focuses on the five pillars of development to alleviate the poverty incidence in the province. These are Infrastructure, Health, Education, Livelihood and Protection of the Environment or IHELP. The Health sector is geared in improving the health and nutritional status of the people especially in the far-flung and depressed communities in the province.
Part of the IHELP program is implementation of nutrition-sensitive projects. The Provincial Government has completed (57) water supply systems that serve thousands of households in the different barangays in Palawan in response to the need for safe and potable drinking water.
To provide opportunity to the local farmers in the province, the Provincial Government continues to improve facilities for socio-economic development including construction of farm-to-market roads, bridges, school buildings, hospitals, barangay health centres, seaports and airstrips that prioritized the transportation of agricultural products in the rural areas.
Through the initiative of Palawan leaders, the province has been a recipient of various huge projects from the national government such as the construction of Buliluyan Port in Bataraza that connects Palawan to destinations including Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines- East Asean Growth Area or BIMP-EAGA region, as well as Borac Port in Coron, and San Fernando Port in El Nido which has a great potential in promoting the agricultural industry in neighbouring provinces and towns.
Livelihood opportunities are also provided to the underprivileged sectors in the rural areas. They are encouraged to plant Hybrid Napier Grass as a food substitute for raising livestock instead of the commercial feeds sold in stores. This is a viable livelihood alternative to augment their meagre income. Livelihood programs for cacao, seaweeds, coconut, and corn are being offered to farmers to aid them in their livelihood to increase their income to provide basic needs to their families. According to Provincial Nutrition Action Officer (PNAO) Rachel Paladan, these efforts have resulted in a good impact on the health and nutrition status of Palawan for the past five years.
“Maganda ang resulta ng ating OPT (Operation Timbang Plus) for the past five years kasi nakita natin na kahit papano ang unti-unting pagbaba ng MPR ng Palawan. Isa itong indikasyon na kahit papaano ay effective ang ating mga programa at inisyatibo sa mga barangay dahil prayoridad natin ang kalusugan ng bawat mamamayang Palaweňo kung kaya’t kailangan talaga natin ang ibayong pagtutulungan katuwang ang iba’t ibang sektor ng lipunan upang matugunan ang problema sa malnutrisyon na ating kinakaharap ngayon.”
PNAO also shared data released from its Monitoring Evaluation of Local Level Plan Implementation (MELLPI) report, from 8.49% MPR under Wasted and Severely Wasted category in 2017, it registered a decrease to 5.03% in 2021. As for the MPR under Underweight and Severely Underweight category, from 8.8% in 2017, it decreased to 7.01% in 2021. The data shows the improvement of local level program implementation in the municipalities down to the barangays.
Meanwhile, Palawan Vice-Governor Victorino Dennis M. Socrates assured to strengthen the advancement of policies that will support the campaign against malnutrition in Palawan especially during this time of the pandemic.
“Malnutrition has been a recurring problem in the country especially among children and women, with the COVID 19 pandemic still in place. It is expected the malnutrition situation will worsen in the country including Palawan. Through the support of the National Nutrition Council, we can set policy direction to the province of Palawan towards a high-quality life among Palaweňo families,” Vice-Governor Socrates said.
As the World’s Best Island, Palawan carries with it its continued commitment to be at par with other provinces in putting premium not only on the beauty of its island, but also on the health and nutrition of its constituents, as manifested in the collective efforts of its various stakeholders and partner agencies.
Written by: Cyrus Kim D. Claridad, Palawan PGO-Public Relations Unit
