10-month feeding program to instill child care awareness

As the City of Valenzuela embarks on a 10-month long supplementary feeding program for undernourished children, health officials are bent on instilling positive attitude change in terms of child care among parents.

The Valenzuela City Health Council led by Mayor WIN Gatchalian and the City Health Office headed by Dr. Jaime M. Exconde Jr., launched the program Nov. 10 that will address malnutrition affecting some 1,121 children aged three to five chosen from 32 barangays.

Winona Villarueza, City Nutrition Program Coordinator, said the beneficiaries were selected thru health check ups by city health workers, in close coordination with the Center for Social Development and Welfare.

Each child will be allotted roughly P15 worth of milk, fortified biscuits and vitamins per weekday for 10 months to augment their nutrition needs. A monitoring routine will be implemented to track individual progress.

Villarueza noted that the program, nutritionists will also be working closely with the parents citing their role as essentially relevant to the success of the project. The program coordinator explained “parents should also be committed to providing their child proper nutrition and adequate care at home.”

In a report published recently by the World Bank, experts rooted “malnourished children perform poorly in school and are more likely to drop out” and thus have “lower life-time earning potential.” Reversing this trend will benefit not only the individual but also the community.

The City Health Office is placed at the center of development by the city government thru active capacity building strategies with different stakeholders.

The program formally commenced with 52 children joining the ceremonial feeding in First District’s Lawang Bato covered court while another 114 children took part in Second District’s kick off in Mapulang Lupa Day Care Center. Special Projects Office led by Dorothy Evangelista, together with barangay officials, spearheaded the campaign.

Members of the Valenzuela City Health Education and Promotion Office also gave the children lectures on sanitation and performed drills on proper toothbrushing and handwashing.

Mark Lester S. Cayabyab

http://www.valenzuela.gov.ph/press.php?id=200900585&tbl=press