A winning formula
MANILA, Philippines - Play is the most important activity of a child,” says Tiffany Anne G. Santuyo, a registered nutritionist and dietitian.
This is particularly true for children three to five years old. This is the stage when their learning and acquisition of skills pick up at a fast pace. And yet, it is also a period of slow growth. Children at this age become more choosy about their food, precisely at the time when they need the proper nutrition to fully support their physical as well as mental development.
A study showed that only one out of 10 moms with children three to five years old provides the right milk to her kids. There was a gap in the market that needed to be filled, observes Pablo “Ricky” L. Espinosa Jr., group product manager of Alaska Milk Corporation.
Alaska, the leading milk brand in the country, recognized and addresses this need, with the introduction of the new Alaska Nutribuild 345, the age-specific formula made especially for children within the three to five age group.
“Alaska Nutribuild 345 addresses both the brain and body nutritional needs of children from ages three to five years old,” remarks Santuyo.
It is a nutrient-rich milk with an integrated approach to health, especially for growing kids in the pre-school years. Alaska Nutribuild 345 contains DHA and ARA that support healthy vision among children, as well as choline and taurine that help in the development of their cognitive and memory functions. It has the combination of iodine, zinc, and iron, which supports not only cognitive development but also enhances immunity and promotes growth. It has essential fatty acids that are necessary for normal growth. It is packed with fructooligosaccharide (FOS) and insulin to activate intestinal functions, assist in digestion, and reduce the risk of constipation and diarrhea. It is enriched with minerals that support “the rapid demand for physical growth and endurance,” Santuyo explains. “This optimum mix of brain and body builders helps raise a child who is physically and mentally alert.”
Santuyo conducts seminars for moms on the proper nutrition for their kids. Nutritionists are also stationed in major supermarkets nationwide, as well as barangay and day care centers, as part of the information campaign, Espinosa shares.
To reinforce the message and raise awareness, Alaska Nutribuild 345 launched the “Isip Winner, Kilos Winner” campaign. “It calls for a change in mindset,” notes Espinosa. It fosters the belief that one has it within himself to overcome and rise above a difficult or adverse situation, and come out a winner.
“What matters is how we think,” says Efren Peñaflorida, CNN Hero of the Year 2009 and now, Alaska Nutribuild 345 brand ambassador. “Our mindset affects our performance, our ability to face life’s challenges.”
Despite the difficulties which he faced in his early years, Efren “stayed focused, finished college, and shared a part of himself by being an agent of change for others. He turned his challenges growing up in the slums to something that fueled him to be someone better.” It was his pioneering Kariton Klasrum that encouraged street children to go back to school, which earned for him the global CNN recognition. The effort continues to this day and he shares many transformative stories about others like him who have turned their life around, becoming volunteers and helping others.
Efren admits that he was not much of a milk drinker when he was growing up. Milk for him, it seemed, was a luxury, enjoyed in its condensed form (Alaska condensada) as a bread filling, palaman sa tinapay, or mixed with champorado for breakfast. Nonetheless, “Isip Winner, Kilos Winner” is a campaign that is beyond milk, he says. He thanked Alaska for making him a part of the program, with their shared vision to “build a country of winners.”
“This is the advocacy of Alaska,” says Blen Fernando, vice president for marketing of Alaska Milk Corporation, which is also celebrating its 40th anniversary. “Character building leads to nation building.”
