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- Category: Region 9
In compliance with the Executive Order (EO) 51 known as the Milk Code of the Philippines, also, “National Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, Breastmilk Supplements, and Other Related Products” and under the Administrative Order 2006-0012 “Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations of EO 51”, the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Mahayag, Zamboanga del Sur continues the promotion of breastfeeding (BF) as sole food for the babies from 0-6 months and continued breastfeeding with complementary feeding to children 6-23 months old and beyond. This action is one among the various interventions that the municipality have implemented in order to address the nutritional needs and to boost immunity among preschool children. The barangay nutrition scholars (BNS) are doing home visits to give one-on-one counselling to mothers on infant and young child feeding good practices alongside the distribution of RUSF and RUTF to households with 6-23 months old children.
Read more: Breastfeeding continues amid COVID-19 pandemic at Mahayag, Zamboanga del Sur
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- Category: Region 9
Filipino people are known for having the spirit of communal unity or “bayanihan” especially during emergency situations. As the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 strikes the country, this spirit of bayanihan once again showed up as they work together in defeating the virus. At the forefront of this battle against COVID-19 are the healthcare workers, uniformed personnel, food and utility workers and other frontliners who work day and night to ensure the safety and survival of the citizens. In return for their great hard work in serving the country, they must be provided with all the support and encouragement they need from other people.
Aside from alcohol, masks, and other protective equipments, COVID-19 frontliners must also be equipped with a healthy body and strong immune system to protect themselves from acquiring the virus. And this be achieved if they are provided with the proper nourishment through consuming a nutritious and well-balanced diet. The province of Zamboanga del Norte is one of the LGUs that showed a great example in securing their province’s COVID-19 frontliners nutrition.
Read more: Zamboanga del Norte secures nutrition of the province's COVID-19 frontliners
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- Category: Region 9
With the emergence of 4 COVID-19 positive cases in the Province of Zamboanga del Sur(ZDS), the Early Childhood Care and Development in the First 1000 (ECCD F1K) Days Program in the municipalities of Aurora, Mahayag and Kumalarang heightened their COVID-19 preparation to prevent the worsening of the situation. These include organization of inter-agency COVID 19 task forces and nutrition clusters, comprehensive information, education and communication (IEC)-dissemination campaigns using multi-media approaches, community quarantines ranging from general to enhanced level to momentary total lockdowns in certain places, establishment of enhanced checkpoints, strict observance of social and physical distancing among family members and community residents, use of face mask especially in public places, color-coded scheme quarantine passes, imposition of curfew hours, liquor bans and gambling activities following the enforcement of executive orders coming from the Chief Executives from the national down to the barangay levels.
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- Category: Region 9
Infants in emergency situations have special needs for disease-fighting factors, optimal nutrition, reliable food source and comfort that can only be ensured by breastfeeding. However, it is observed that there are mothers who are seeking for milk formula donations to feed their infants since according to the mothers their production of breastmilk was affected due to the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) brought by the COVID-19 outbreak. With this, a lot of good-hearted individuals responded and extended their help through donating infant milk formula to families who are in need but, despite with these good intentions, everybody should be reminded that even during these times of crisis, the existence of E.O 51 or the Milk Code of the Philippines is not suspended.
Executive Order (E.O) 51 or the Milk Code of the Philippines is the law that protects and promotes breastfeeding in the Philippines. Under this code is the prohibition of donating breastmilk substitutes including infant milk formula, powdered milk and other milk products; feeding bottles, teats, commercial baby food donations for infants below 3 years of age. This aims to provide safe and adequate nutrition for infants through continued promotion of breastfeeding amidst crisis. These are some of the reasons why mothers should continue to breastfeed their infants during this pandemic:
Read more: Strengthening the advocacy of E.O. 51 amidst crisis
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- Category: Region 9
Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNSs) are known as volunteer workers responsible for delivering nutrition and nutrition-related services in their communities. Every BNS, even though with no compensation, has the willingness to serve in their respective barangays even before the outbreak of COVID-19. Providing basic nutrition and health information to mothers of underweight, stunted, and wasted children, as well as pregnant and lactating women, conducting annual weighing of all children, and monitoring the nutritional status of the 0-5 years old children in their barangay, are just among the many tasks and functions of a BNS.
Read more: Barangay Nutrition Scholars in action amidst COVID-19 pandemic
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- Category: Region 9
During emergency situations such as the COVID-19 outbreak, children under five years old are more susceptible to infection and would even lead to death because of their weak immune system. With this reason, the Local Government Unit of Dipolog City prioritized the needs of the families with stunted, wasted and underweight pre-school children following the National Nutrition Cluster Advisory No. 1, Messages #2 and #4; prioritizing and providing assistance to families with special needs and including nutritious food items to the distribution of food packs.
In the implementation of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus access to food, transportation, health care services and other necessities have been limited to the areas within Zamboanga Peninsula. Because of this, Local Government Units (LGUs) need to step-up and extend help to families by distributing food packs and other basic necessities for their daily survival. Dipolog City is one of the LGUs that distributed food packs to all households and prioritized families with special needs as well as with undernourished pre-school children.
