NUTRITION MONTH. Photo shows (from left to right) Charito Catarata of the Provincial Agriculturist's Office, Dr. Liland Estacion of the Provincial Health Office, and Julie Sibala of the Department of Education in Negros Oriental, discuss nutrition at the "Kapihan sa PIA" forum in Dumaguete City on Wednesday (July 3, 2019). The forum was held in line with the celebration of Nutrition Month this July. (Photo by Judy Flores Partlow)
DUMAGUETE CITY – The malnutrition rate in Negros Oriental continues to decline over the years.
During the "Kapihan sa PIA" forum here on Wednesday that focused on the celebration of Nutrition Month this July, Dr. Liland B. Estacion, Assistant Provincial Health Officer, said the province's malnutrition rate has dropped to 5.6 percent in 2018.
“In 2010, when Governor (Roel) Degamo assumed office as governor, the malnutrition rate was at 8.6 (percent), and in 2017, it was lowered to 6.6,” she said.
While data for the first six months of 2019 are still being collated, Estacion is hoping the downtrend will continue.
She said the provincial government attributes this to team effort by all concerned, particularly “the Department of Education (DepEd) with its feeding program, and the provincial chief executive who has given emphasis to nutrition”.
“We go directly to areas where there are plenty of malnourished children and give them assistance, lectures, seedlings, and tilapia propagation, among others," Estacion said.
Meanwhile, Julie Sibala, in charge of the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition of the DepEd-Negros Oriental, said that aside from the school-based feeding program, they are also implementing the “Gulayan sa Paaralan” project as a way to combat malnutrition.
Sibala said other nutrition-related activities in the schools include lectures, sale of healthy food at canteens, and deworming of pupils, among others.
She added that DepEd is widely promoting the consumption of malunggay, the main food served in the feeding program because of its nutritional and health benefits.
While Nutrition Month is celebrated each year in July, Estacion stressed that nutrition must be given attention every day.
This year’s Nutrition Month theme is “Kumain ng Wasto at Maging Aktibo, Push Natin ‘to!” (PNA)
