Davao City -- Kool Mama was introduced in the pilot broadcasting of her radio program as “Ang Mama mong concerned sa nutrition mo, sa health mo, sa wellness mo, at sa puso mo. “ The character of Kool Mama was created by NNC XI’s RNPC, Dr. Maria Teresa Ungson in allusion to mothers as they are known to be authority figures and can exert power over their offsprings, they be young or old. The said program is to provide nutrition, health, and wellness information to the public, in a social and approachable, yet influential way.

The pilot episode was broadcasted last March 8, 2014, under GMA Super Radyo DXGM Davao (1125 kHz Davao City). In the said show, Kool Mama, has a segment wherein she gives advice to the problems of a chosen letter sender. In her segment, Chika Kool Time she talked to Chona F. Patalen, Science Research Specialist and Claire Magsadia, Senior Science Research Specialist, both from FNRI-DOST of FNRI (Food Nutrition and Research Institute – Department of Science and Technology)- Manila. They talked about FNRI’s existing projects such as Scaling-up Rice Fortification Program through Techno-Transfer: A Strategy Towards Nutrition Security.

The above-mentioned project has been sub-divided into two projects; the Technology Transfer to Private Mills, and the Evaluation of Impact of IFR (Iron Fortified Rice), and Program Sustainability. In this project, they conducted a feeding activity in Maco Heights Central Elementary School in Maco, Compostela Valley utilizing IFR with low iron content viand. In the said project, the selected children were given lunch for 120 days and were randomly allocated into 2 groups: the intervention group received 1 cup of IFR with low cost regional dish and the control group received 1 cup of ordinary rice with same regional dish.

Expected outputs include reduced Anemia prevalence in targeted children, increased knowledge of the community about nutrition and the benefits of IFR, preference of IFR vs. ordinary rice, improved nutrition practices resulting to improved nutritional status, and that the LGUs will issue and enforce an ordinance in selling IFR in all rice retail outlets.

There has also been a Training and Writeshop of Trainers on Health and Nutrition Education attended by teachers of Maco Heights Central Elementary School, nurses from DepEd Compostela, and the PNAO. The Writeshop participants translated into Bisaya the Nutrition Education Modules for Parents developed by FNRI. This will be used to create awareness on health and nutrition through the conduct of nutrition education sessions during the Parent-Teacher Association meetings. This is anchored on the belief that education of parents is of prime importance to sustain the effects of the intervention.

Kool Mama’s radio program is broadcasted on GMA Super Radyo DXGM Davao (1125 kHz Davao City) every Saturday from 10:00-11:00 in the morning and has already gained positive reviews from its listeners, including the Senior Vice President of Radio GMA, Mike Enriquez.