Budbod sustansya

The acute food shortage in late 1997 and 1998 saw hungry families and malnourished children. In some parts of Mindanao, people had to eat "kayos" or wild yellow yam that is abundant in the mountains but poisonous when not processed very well. The yam contains hydrocyanic acid.

In the urban poor communities, mass lay-off and closure of medium and small enterprises resulted in just as hungry families. The pack of noodles that is good for one person is being consumed by a family of six members to fill up the stomach.

Something should be done to help these families, thought Lilia O. Ramos, executive director of Approtech (The Asian Alliance of Appropriate Technology Practitioners, Inc.) She thought of a food processing technology and food product which will provide the nutritional needs of individuals in poor urban and rural communities.

Lilia’s prayers were answered when in early 1998, Once and Future Action Network (OFAN), provided Approtech Asia assistance to develop an indigenous low-cost but highly nutritious food which would provide enough nutrients based on the recommended daily allowance that the body needs to become productive and healthy.

With the grant, Lilia, together with woman scientist Dr. Lydia M. Marero, president of the Women Inventors Association of the Philippines Inc., (WIAP) which Approtech Asia had organized earlier, developed a vegetable-based nutritious topping called Budbod Sustansya. This topping contains vitamin A beta carotene, protein, carbohydrates, among others, and can be used as garnishing for bland food such as porridge or lugaw, boiled banana, cassava and camote. It is made of processed green leafy vegetables that women, mothers and housewives grow in their garden.

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In 1999, the Southeast Asia Gender Equity Program (SEAGEP), a program of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) in Singapore, provided assistance in the pilot-testing of the product in two depressed communities in Metro Manila, the beneficiaries malnourished children below six years old, pregnant, and lactating mothers.

Nancy Spence, SEAGEP director, and Lilia worked together on the project, from its conceptualization stage – on what they first thought to be a "food rescue package" to respond to disasters like typhoons, earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions, armed conflict, and famine and malnutrition. It turned out the package would help rescue the needy from the ravages of hunger and malnutrition in ordinary but awful times.

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The pilot study looked into the effect on height and weight of malnourish children eating 10 grams of "Budbod Sustansya" daily for 45 days in BASECO, Tondo, and Balingasa, Balintawak. It also studied the effect of eating the same quantity of BS daily for 45 days on the milk of lactating mothers and the health of pregnant women. The results showed increase in the weight and height of malnourished children, more milk produced, and frequent sucking of infants among lactating mothers, and stronger kicking of fetuses among pregnant women.

The pilot study and production of BS were implemented by the teacher community coordinator of the Non-Formal Education sector of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports of the city of Manila in BASECO and the Pambansang Tagapag-ugnay ng Mga Manggagawa sa Bahay (PATAMABA) in Balingasa.

A good number of housewives are now raising vegetables and processing BS, and selling the product at a minimal price P2.50 per pack good for several servings of lugaw). Lilia is all praise for the industry and dedication of these women. "Budbod Sustansya has become a powerful tool that has enabled and ennobled women, not only as consumers but as small business entrepreneurs, expanding Budbod Sustansya into multi-product lines." BS and by-products such as vege noodles, vege kropek, vege burger, vege cookies, vege polvoron, vege dip, vege spread, vege ice drop and vege cake will be launched at the Philippine Coconut Authority in Quezon City tomorrow at 10 a.m.

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Now BS is also being processed in Indonesia by an NGO (using the brand Gurih Gurih Gizi Formula) and Bangkok (which uses the Brand Tua Kriab). These products were the result of technology-sharing by PATAMABA and NFE.

The acceptability and popularity as well as market potential of Budbod Sustansya convinced the United Nations Development Fund (UNDP) and Asia-Pacific Gender Equity Network (APGEN) in July 2000 to provide assistance in the transfer of the technology of the product to North Cotabato and part of Maguindanao, including 10 evacuation centers. In Quezon City, BS production areas now include Sto. Kristo, Brgy 224 and San Antonio. APGEN-UNDP provided experts from UNECO APGEST (Asia Pacific Gender in Science and Technology) to improve the technology, equipment, processes and product.

Approtech Asia coordinated the project with the implementing organizations such as WIAPI for product development, improvement, packaging and labeling, Technology Enterprise Associate (TEA) for the conduct of trainings in enterprise development and social marketing, and Integral Development Services, Inc. (IDS) for the expansion in Mindanao and PATAMABA in Balingasa.