BARMM, local execs to address malnutrition of Basilan kids

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Officials launched in Basilan on Thursday this year’s observance of the National Nutrition Month in the Bangsamoro region purposely to educate residents on the importance of nutrition consciousness to address the prevalence of stunted growth among children in the island province.

Bangsamoro Health Minister Kadil Monera Sinolinding Jr., who is a practicing physician, Mayor Jul Adnan Hataman of Sumisip and representatives from the office of Gov. Hadjiman Salliman together launched the 50th National Nutrition Month in Barangay Look-Bait in Sumisip, in the presence of barangay officials, traditional Yakan leaders and school children from across the municipality.

In a message during the event, Sinolinding assured of the extensive focus of the Ministry of Health-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao to malnutrition issues besetting the communities in Basilan, now markedly peaceful and touted as BARMM’s new investment hub.

“We can work together in providing children in this province proper nutrition. There are vast tracts of lands around, now peaceful, where farmers can propagate vegetables that mothers can cook for their children,” Sinolinding, also concurrent member of BARMM’s 80-seat regional parliament, then said.

Hataman and Salliman, who is now in his third term as provincial governor, separately told reporters here via text message on Saturday that they have plans on how to help the MoH-BARMM address stunting of growth of children in some areas in Basilan.

Armed conflicts in years past is one of the factors that caused the problem, according to officials of the MoH-BARMM in Basilan and in the provincial health office under Salliman’s administration.