Task force to fight malnutrition

CEBU, Philippines – An inter-agency task force is set to be created to address the malnutrition problem among children and pregnant women in Cebu City.

The creation of the task force was agreed during the nutrition summit attended by various non-government organizations, private sectors, and representatives from different government offices.

Together they created the “Kausaban Nutrition Masterplan” and agreements were signed between the civil society and the local government for partnership in the fight against malnutrition.

Lawyer Jerone Castillo, city treasurer and point person of the nutrition program, said there was an outpouring of support for the program from different organizations and private sectors.

He said an executive order creating the inter-agency task force is set to be drafted to build a structure for an organized partnership between the local government and the different sectors involved.

“The basic purpose of this project is that there will be zero poverty among our children in the City of Cebu,” said Castillo.

Castillo also shared that from their initial discussions they found out that there are gaps in the feeding programs because it is usually school-based and there is no continuity.

“We will try to fill in the gaps and provide a holistic program that is sustainable,” said Castillo.

The city government will also organize the farmers and have them supply the vegetables needed for the program.

“We will partner with the farmers, the NGOs, the schools, this is a rationalize approach to nutrition. We’ll identify the key areas, and cluster our resources, to maximize the use for a desirable result,” said Castillo. FPL (FREEMAN)