Young lives strengthened: 'Batang Matatag' campaign upholds mission to invest in every Filipino child’s future

MANILA, Philippines — On World Children’s Day, Erceflora Kiddie reaffirms its commitment to championing every child’s right to the highest attainable standard of health, including access to clean water and proper nutrition through the #BatangMatatag Campaign in partnership with Save the Children.

“World Children’s Day is an annual reminder that taking care of children’s well-being is a shared responsibility among the academe, the public and private sectors, and the whole community. We must find a way to come together to raise happy, healthy children and protect their future,” Rica Mae Mateo, from the makers of Erceflora Kiddie, shared.

Over the past year, the #BatangMatatag initiative has successfully established three community kitchens and three water systems in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). These efforts have touched the lives of hundreds of Filipino families across Iligan City and Lanao del Sur.

The initiative is in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) Article 24, which aims to ensure that children have access to the best possible healthcare, clean drinking water, healthy food and a clean and safe environment to live in.

Making the Philippines a #BatangMatatag nation

In October 2022, the #BatangMatatag Campaign was launched to improve access to health, nutrition, sanitation and education in conflict-affected areas of the country. Driven by the mission to safeguard children’s health, the movement aims to combat child mortality caused by diarrhea. This preventable condition often stems from unsafe water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene.

In 2023, the #BatangMatatag Campaign invested P12 million to build Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities and community kitchens, which would benefit the Toril, Sama Bajau and Higaonon communities in BARMM.

Over 1,000 adolescents in the beneficiary communities received training programs on life and leadership skills, and more than 500 residents participated in education programs to learn about critical techniques and methods to improve and maintain proper health and nutrition among children.

At the start of the Improving Health and Nutrition Programs and Hygiene Sanitation programs, 58% of the communities showed signs of moderate to severe acute malnutrition. After five months, the same communities reflected 100% normal health levels.

With the success of the campaign in BARMM, #BatangMatatag has already expanded to Luzon to reach more children residing in communities in need. It plans to extend mobile handwashing stations, WASH caravans in schools and communities, and water filtering systems across the major island, starting with the province of Rizal.

The campaign aims to be present in more areas in Luzon within the next five years.

Becoming part of the solution, one Erceflora Kiddie purchase at a time

With #BatangMatatag’s Luzon expansion underway, Erceflora Kiddie once again encourages the public to take part in the movement.

Everyone can play a role in ensuring that Filipino children nationwide are equipped with the resources they need for their growth and development, and there is no better place to start than at home. When a child’s gut is healthy, their body has a stronger ability to fight off diseases and illnesses.

Erceflora Kiddie, the world’s no. 1 probiotic brand, has four-strain combination Bacillus clausii spores that helps enhance the body’s natural resistance to intestinal infections. It also aids in digestion through its ability to produce vitamin B, making it easier for the body to absorb nutrients in the gut.

“A purchase of Erceflora Kiddie for your own child not only means that you are taking good care of their health, you are also extending that care to less fortunate communities in different parts of the nation through the buy-and-donate* program,” Mateo underscored.

With every purchase of Erceflora Kiddie, a portion of the sale will be donated to the #BatangMatatag Campaign to help build more WASH facilities and create more hygiene education programs for vulnerable communities in the country.

*Per DOH-FDA-CFRR Permit No. 1487 s. 2023

Editor’s Note: This press release is sponsored by Opella Healthcare. It is published by the Advertising Content Team that is independent from our Editorial Newsroom.