Malunggay-squash noodles, anyone?

Want to solve the problem of malnourishment among children?

Give them marinaya canton noodles with malunggay and squash.

Now out to prove the feasibility of this program is the provincial government of the Southern Tagalog Region island-province of Marinduque.

"Canton noodles (squash and malunggay) are nutritious noodles prepared from a blend of wheat flour, purce, salt, egg, and noodles improver. It is golden yellow and contains 513 kilocalories, 13 grams protein, and 1.12 milligram Beta carotene per 100 grams," said Robie Sosa, department head of Marinduque’s Provincial Nutrition Office (PNO).

Sosa added that a 50-gram serving of the noodles provides 24 percent vitamin A, 20 percent protein, and 16 percent energy of the recommended dietary allowance of four to six-year-old children.

She discussed the wonders of this nutritious product at the 1st Regional Technology Commercialization Forum Luzon B Cluster II (Region 3, 4-A and 4-B, and 5) held recently in Lipa City. The forum was one in a series being undertaken by the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR) to commercialize technologies generated by DA and other government agencies.

Gov. Carmencita Reyes initiated Marinduque’s squash-malunggay-based canton noodles program for malnourished children following results of a 1998 Department of Science and Technology-Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) survey showing that the island-province ranked number one among the 10 provinces with the highest percentage of underweight preschoolers.

The 2000 and 2001 "Operation Timbang" (OPT) also indicated a very slight decrease on severely and moderately undernourished preschoolers while data reflected 19.3 percent increase in the malnutrition cases among school children.

Confronting the problem by the "proverbial horn," Gov. Reyes instructed the Provincial Nutrition Office to produce canton noodles with malunggay and squash to provide the necessary nutrients needed by malnourished children.

The lady provincial executive and Marinduque Rep. Edmundo Reyes allocated funds for the construction (P500,000) and capitalization (P300,000) of the Marinduque Food Procesing Center (FPC).

Towns and barangays identified with prevalent rate of malnourished children have also allocated funds for the program.

Since the PNO has the equipment to process mongo, rice, and sesame into nutri-mix and to use squash and malunggay for making canton noodles, it was tasked by the governor with implementing a sustainable program that will fast-track the rehabilitation of malnourished children.

Sosa reported that provincial and municipal staff members who will handle the processing of the food items have been trained by DOST-FNRI.

For the program’s sustainability and to avoid dole-outs, the recipients pay the cost of production.

"The amount will be the source of revolving funds for the continuity of the project and until the child is rehabilitated," Sosa said.

Others who want to procure the produce pay P5 per pack.

In the production of the enhanced canton noodles, the best quality squash and malunggay are bought from Marinduque farmers in coordination with the Department of Agriculture.

"The use of indigenous products encourages farmers to produce more squash and to plant malunggay trees," Sosa concluded. – Rudy A. Fernandez