Malnutrition in Central Visayas: Finding creative solutions to hunger

CEBU, Philippines - Twenty-six out of 100 school-aged Filipino children are malnourished. This is according to data culled by Akap Bata Partylist, a national political party of children’s rights advocates.

The group also claims that 32 percent of Filipino children under five years of age are stunted and 21 percent are underweight.

This is not surprising considering that according to a May 2012 survey of the Social Weather Station, an estimated 3.8 million Filipino families are hungry.

Although this number is an improvement from an earlier survey, which showed that 23.8 percent of Filipinos suffer from involuntary hunger, the fact remains that many Filipinos, most especially children, are suffering from hunger.

Dramatic decrease

In Central Visayas, the Regional Nutrition Council claims that there has been a dramatic decrease in the incidence of malnutrition among children based on their recent Operation Timbang survey (OPT) or the weighing in of children ages 0 to 71 months old.

The OPT is a yearly data gathering tool used by government to measure the incidence of malnutrition among children. This is done in lieu of the National Nutrition Survey which happens every five years. The next NNS is scheduled for 2013. It covers every household in all 17 regions of the country, and includes six components, namely: anthropometric (height and weight), biochemical nutrition (vitamins and minerals), clinical nutrition and health, dietary assessment (per household and individual level), socio-economics and food insecurity, and government program participation.

Based on the 2011 OPT, malnutrition incidence in the region decreased to 5.78 percent from 6.2 percent the previous year.

Dr. Parolita A. Mission, NNC-7 nutrition program coordinator, credits this decrease to the “accelerated hunger reduction program” of government, coordinating both efforts of government and the private sector in achieving the goal.

Malnutrition incidence

She revealed that of the four provinces in the region, Negros Oriental has the highest incidence of malnutrition pegged at 8.8 percent. Cebu follows at 7.29 percent, then Siquijor at 6.73 percent, and lastly, Bohol at 6.29 percent.

Although in terms of towns, the first three with the most number of malnourished children are in Bohol – Buenavista (17.6 percent), Cortes (15.4 percent), and Clarin (15.2 percent). The three also posted a worsening prevalence of malnutrition.

In Cebu, Tabogon (14.45 percent) has the most number of malnourished children followed by Aloguinsan (14.06 percent), and Sogod (12.29 percent). In the region, Aloguinsan has the least improvement posting a -7.35 percent improvement.

Malnutrition and MDG

Addressing the problem of malnutrition addresses three of the eight Millennium Development Goals: eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, reduction of child mortality, and improving maternal health.

Together with all members of the United Nations, the Philippine government is a signatory of the MDG, promising to achieve the goals by 2015, less than three years from now.

“We are on track,” Mission said, referring to the nutrition component of these goals.

One of the most successful local government units that Mission pointed out in terms of successful implementation of nutrition programs is the quaint town of La Libertad in Negros Oriental.

 In 2004, La Libertad recorded a 28 percent malnutrition rate with children aged 0-71 months old weighing below normal levels. Today, eight years later, La Libertad’s malnutrition rate have decreased to 5.8 percent, based on OPT data gathered for March 2011.

Negros Oriental Representative Jocelyn Sy-Limkaichong credits this decrease in malnutrition rate to three programs initiated when she was still town mayor in 2003 and continued today.

Livelihood for mothers

“How could mothers feed their children when they don’t have any money?” she asked.

It is for this reason that the formation of community women’s associations was encouraged in the municipality. One such association is the La Libertad Weavers Association (LALIWA). The members of LALIWA are mothers and housewives from low income families who were taught to weave pandan leaves into bags, mats, and other accessories.

Aside from government offices like the Department of Trade and Industry, private organizations and even individuals were tapped as partners. Amir Sali, a famous fashion designer who designed gowns for Hollywood stars like Shakira and Halle Berry is one such person. In 2010, Sali lent his services to the association for free to reconceptualize the bags made by LALIWA, making them truly world-class.

These livelihood programs have helped improve the lives of these women and their families, including the capability to provide better nutrition for their children.

Nutripan para sa eskwelahan

Micronutrient deficiency remains to be a problem in the country. The NNS in 2008 revealed that iron deficiency anemia has a 55.7 percent prevalence rate among children aged 6 months to 1 year. Another micronutrient of similar concern is Vitamin A.

To address this, government introduced micronutrient supplementation, however, resources are scarce and the implementation of the project is difficult especially with school-aged children from hinterland barangays.

The NutriPan para sa Eskwelahan seeks to address this problem. NutriPan is a program developed by the Nutrition Center of the Philippines with the aim of making available in every school, affordable fortified bread. In La Libertad, aside from the NutriPan, soy milk is also given for free.

“Our indigent students really benefited from this program because it is they who would buy the breads since it’s the only snack that they could afford,” said Anelito Bongcawil, district in-charge of the Department of Education – La Libertad District.

Bongcawil explained that the P1 charge for every bread ensures the sustainability of the program as well as encourage the parents and the children to make a counterpart for every assistance given.

Limkaichong clarified that it is never her policy to give dole outs.

“People would give more value to help wherein they have a role to play. It gives them a sense of ownership with the project,” she said.

The bakeshop from which the NutriPan is baked and the soy milk is made is ran by locals and supervised by the LGU. It serves not just the children of the elementary schools in the municipality, but the town residents also.

Pabasa sa nutrisyon

La Libertad is a Hall of Famer for the Pabasa sa Nutrisyon program. It entails the education of mothers on the benefits of vegetables, backyard vegetable gardening, and on ways of cooking the vegetables.

“The Pabasa is really a big help,” says Wena S. Gallosa, head nurse and administrator of the La Libertad Health Center.

“The mothers are starting to realize that proper nutrition need not be expensive, in fact, the vegetables in their garden is enough to provide for the nutritional needs of their children and their family,” she said.

In La Libertad, the Pabasa has become a regular activity, with all of their volunteer Barangay Health Workers and Barangay Nutrition Scholars proficient to train mothers on backyard vegetable gardening, cooking, and even on proper nutrition education.

Priority

“It’s all a matter of priority and commitment,” Limkaichong told The FREEMAN. “Government programs can be successful, not because of the amount of funding but because of the local executive’s commitment in making it successful.”

“We have to realize that government could not provide for everything. Government has so much concerns needing equal attention,” she said.

“Just because government is unable to continue funding a good program, it doesn’t mean that we should also give up on it. We have to look for other ways, and in our district, we look for partners like private companies and individuals who have the heart to help,” she said.

“Even the beneficiaries themselves can do something to help sustain the program,” she added pointing out that one of the reasons why the NutriPan program of La Libertad is successful is because they have found a way of making the operation of the Nutripan bakery sustainable.

Malnutrition, especially in children is a reality, and considering the limited budget placed on addressing the problem, it is not a wonder why many politicians instead choose to address other pressing problems that would not entail so much cost yet result into something that people could immediately see and feel.

However, with determination and by exploring for solutions outside and beyond government coffers, a dramatic improvement on the problem can be seen, like that in La Libertad./JMO