Cebu tops malnutrition rate in Central Visayas

CEBU, Philippines - The National Nutrition Council (NNC) in Central Visayas has admitted that there is a low probability that the Philippines could achieve its target in eradicating extreme poverty based on the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

NNC regional nutrition program coordinator Dr. Parolita Mission said that among the factors that contribute to hunger include poverty, armed conflict, natural disasters, environmental degradation, rapid population growth, lack of agricultural infrastructures and increasing food prices, among others.

Mission said that except for armed conflict, the rest of the factors have affected the delay to meet MDGs in Central Visayas, especially Cebu.

According to Mission, Cebu now ranked number one based on the malnutrition rate of pre-school children as of 2012 with 7.66 percent. It now surpassed Negros Oriental which has been consistent in the top in the previous years and now has 7.13 percent followed by Siquijor with 6.56 and Bohol with 5.87.

Among the cities and municipalities, Naga City ranked number one with 10.95 percent followed by Bais City and Guihulngan with 9.62 and 9.32 percent, respectively.

The Philippines, as a signatory to the MDGs in 2000, targets to reduce by half the prevalence of underweight children under five years old and the number of households with inadequate calorie intake by year 2015.

Mission said that the goal can still be attained if there is a strong cooperation by everybody, including the local government units, non-government organizations, and the families as well.

Mission said that addressing hunger contributes to the country’s national growth and development. She added that there is also a need to fast track their actions and meet the target.

So far, the government was able to curb the number of households with inadequate energy intake from 74.2% in 1993 to 66.7% in 2008 and the prevalence of underweight under-five from 27.3% in 1990 to 20.6% in 2008.

Under the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition, along with its Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and Agrikulturang Pilipino or Agri-Pinoy, the government aims to reduce the 2008 figures by more or less 50 percent by 2016.

The 39th Nutrition Month celebration focuses on hunger and Cebu joins the whole nation in the observance of the month-long event starting tomorrow.

This year’s celebration is aimed at increasing awareness on hunger issues and actions to mitigate hunger and malnutrition, encouraging stakeholders to contribute in addressing hunger issues and advocating for stronger political action to end hunger.

This year’s theme, “Gutom at Malnutrisyon, Sama-Sama Nating Wakasan!”, underscores the need for active multi-stakeholder participation to address the basic causes of hunger.

The NNC-7, which has been coordinating the annual nationwide celebration of Nutrition Month including the identification of a priority concern to focus on, has decided to crack down on hunger this year as incidence of food deprivation in the Philippines has worsened in recent years.

The NNC-7 office had also prepared a series of activities in line for the annual celebration, which happens every July.

July has been designated as Nutrition Month by the Philippine government under Presidential Decree 491 or the Nutrition Act of the Philippines.

This is the time when the government holds its annual campaign in order to create greater awareness on nutrition among Filipinos.

For 2013, the NNC is set to carry out an information drive on hunger and malnutrition via social media networking sites and a series of mall tours during the whole Nutrition Month celebration.

The NNC, through its network, likewise plans to educate the people on the causes of hunger and their fundamental right to food by conducting weekly seminars and lectures in the different barangays where feeding programs will also be undertake for poor families, particularly pregnant women and six to 23 months old children.

Moreover, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) will provide technical and vocational trainings for potential workers, while the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will conduct livelihood seminars and workshops for indigent families.

To encourage home and community gardening, the NNC is slated to distribute seedlings courtesy of the City Agriculture Department (CAD) during the mall tours simultaneously at SM City Cebu and Ayala Center Cebu every Saturday and Sunday of July.

The series of activities lined up by NNC-7 for the Nutrition Month 2013 celebration in Cebu will done in partnership with DSWD, TESDA and the Department of Agriculture (DA).  (FREEMAN)