CDO nutrition program in Batangas cited

MANILA, Philippines – Malvar town in Batangas has improved its ranking in terms of the nutritional status of its residents, thanks to a supplemental feeding program initiated by food manufacturing firm CDO-Foodsphere Inc.

From being the town with the second highest incidence of malnutrition among 31 municipalities and four cities in Batangas in 2010, Malvar’s ranking improved to eighth place in 2011.

“Hopefully, we would no longer be included in the list of 10 Batangas towns with highest incidence of malnutrition this year,” said Malvar municipal health officer Sabina Vanguardia. 

The Department of Health will conduct its annual weighing of children in Batangas in the first quarter.

Vanguardia made the statement during the recent graduation of 150 children beneficiaries of the Gabay Nutrisyon supplemental feeding program initiated by CDO-Foodsphere through its humanitarian arm, Odyssey Foundation Inc., with the cooperation of the Malvar municipal government.

During the ceremony held in Barangay Poblacion in Malvar recently, the 150 children beneficiaries, who were previously underweight, received a clean bill of health, proving that their weight have been restored to normal levels, after undertaking the supplemental feeding program wherein they received food and medicine for 64 days.

The 150 children belong to the third batch of beneficiaries of the supplemental feeding program in Malvar town and the 15th batch nationwide. 

A total of 500 children from Malvar and 7,000 children from all over the country have benefited from the nutrition program of Odyssey Foundation, CDO-Foodsphere, and their partner organizations since 2005.

Odyssey Foundation was incorporated on May 11, 2004 as a non-stock, non-profit organization with the main goal of helping save thousands of poor children suffering from malnutrition. 

The foundation serves as the corporate social responsibility arm of CDO-Foodsphere.