By PIA and Sunday Post
Your preschool and school-aged children underweight and undernourished?
Fret no more.
They may well be on the road to the pink of health with the latest innovation of the
Bohol Provincial Nutrition Council (PNC) chaired by graduating Gov. and Congressman-
elect Erico Aumentado.
This after the governor has launched the “Gatas Para sa Kahimsug Ko (Milk for My
Health)†project at the Ramon Magsaysay Gymnasium in Ubay town.
Aumentado said the project is the latest approach that the Provincial Health Office
(PHO) is pushing to address under-nutrition among preschoolers and schoolchildren
to be piloted in six towns in the 2nd District of Bohol. These towns are chosen for their
proximity to the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) and therefore access to carabao’s
milk now gaining acceptance and popularity as main ingredient for ice cream.
He said this means a delicious way of nursing children back to health.
He welcomes the move, saying that more often than not, these children became
underweight in the first place because of poverty.
Coming from a poor family and orphaned by his father when he was only eight years
old, the governor said he was once also malnourished because of poverty.
“I know poverty at face value,†he recalled.
Seeing a rising industry in carabao milk production on top of nourishing children as
a benefit, Aumentado said he has marketed a new project for Official Development
Assistance (ODA) funding to high-ranking officials of the Korean government. In his
recent trip to Korea, these officials assured him of support for the development of
Bohol’s agri-business and dairy production as add-ons to the multi-industry cluster
(MIC) projects to be implemented in the province as agreed by the governments of
Korea and the Philippines.
Ubay hosts the PCC, the choice anchor to the dairy production project, especially
when it would become the first science city in the Visayas. Aumentado will push for the
conversion as soon as he assumes as congressman next month.
The records at the PHO show that “malnutrition affects the most vulnerable sector
of the population particularly pre-school children, and that the 2010 Operation Timbang
showed that 10 percent of the preschool children have weights below normalâ€.
The major and immediate determinants of child under-nutrition are inadequacy of
necessary nutrients needed by the body, according to PHO.
Dr. Reymoses Cabagnot, PHO and provincial nutrition action officer, said the “Gatas
Para sa Kahimsug Ko†project will be implemented in six pilot municipalities from July to
October this year.
He said his office facilitated the provincial government’s assistance of P150,000 per
partner-municipality for the purchase of carabao milk.
Cabagnot explained that although carabao milk cannot substitute for breast-feeding,
it can be a good alternative because of its availability.
“I hope this project will be sustained by the incoming administration and that more
municipalities will express interest in joining the project,†he said.
The PNC has been cited thrice in the regional level for excellent programs in
malnutrition reduction, making it a "Consistent Regional Outstanding Winner in Nutrition
(Crown).â€
Cabagnot said the PNC aims for a third national citation to qualify as hall of famer.
“So I call on the people in these towns to cooperate to further reduce the malnutrition
rate,†he added.
Ubay Municipal Nutrition Action Officer Basilides Pepino and Municipal Councilor
Constancio Atuel also assured Aumentado and Cabagnot of their support for the
sustainability of the project.
Aside from the ceremonial milk-drinking led by Guillerma Abayabay of the PCC in
barangay Lomangog, Ubay, the signing of the memorandum of agreement among
the provincial government through the PNC, the PCC and the six participating towns
highlighted the launching activity.
These are Ubay, President Carlos P. Garcia, Anda, Dagohoy, Cortes and Sagbayan
although only Ubay Mayor Eutiquio Bernales made it to the launching as the others had
been preparing for their oath-taking.
In the MOA, the PNC will provide funding for the purchase of fresh milk, and conduct
orientation, monitoring and evaluation of the project
The partner-LGUs will take charge of identifying beneficiaries, implementation of the
project, provide ice box as storage for the fresh milk and the transportation from delivery
site to the barangays. They will also have to submit monthly accomplishment reports.
The PCC, the local producer of fresh milk, will to supply the Municipal Nutrition Office of the
six partner-LGUs with the carabao’s milk for the purpose.
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