LEARNERS. Learners of a Child Development Center in the Municipality of Pandan show their drawings in this undated photo. Antique Vice Governor Edgar Denosta said the provincial government invested more in children for their education, protection, health, and well-being. (Photo courtesy of Antique Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office)
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – Antique is safer, and the quality of life is better for children with various interventions made by the provincial government and stakeholders this year.
Vice Governor Edgar Denosta said one of the remarkable developments in the province benefited 222,688 children aged one to 17.
“The provincial government has been investing more in children for their education and protection, health and well-being,” Denosta said.
Education
The quality of education, especially for children zero to four-and-a-half-years-old improved since its 714 child development workers (CDWs) got equipped with skills in terms of session planning and knowledge about the framework of the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) curriculum.
All CDWs of 668 child development centers (CDC) in Antique are capacitated and ready for recognition by the ECCD council next year.
“The CDWs are now ready for accreditation after they had undergone training by the ECCD Council to improve their standard of service among children, "said Social Welfare and Development (SWD) Officer II Carla Jee-Ann Cabigunda.
Currently, CDCs in the province cater to 21,437 learners.
Moreover, 100 children are beneficiaries of the Strategic Helpdesks for Information, Education and Livelihood and other Developmental Interventions (SHIELD) program against child labor.
They received PHP3,000 quarterly educational support to keep them in school.
Protection
The Antique Provincial Police Office (APPO) revitalized the “Oplan Bambino,” where children learned of the “good touch and bad touch” to protect themselves from anyone taking advantage of their being minors.
This year, the APPO conducted 145 lectures, reaching out to 2,504 pupils from 103 selected elementary schools in the province.
In terms of securing them from the drug menace, the APPO has worked for the declaration of 588 barangays as drug-cleared barangays and left with two yet to get the certification.
Health and well-being
The Antique Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) said the health and well-being of the children in the province improved with various programs such as dietary supplementation, salt-iodization program, and mandatory food fortification.
The result of the annual IPHO-Provincial Nutrition Council (PNC) Operation Timbang for zero-23 months children this year showed 18,366 or 94.16 percent have normal weight; 289, or 1.48 percent, overweight; 674, or 3.46 percent as underweight; and 177 or 0.91 percent are severely underweight.
Operation Timbang, aimed at monitoring the nutrition status of children, showed that in 2022, of the 17,650 children zero-23 months old had normal weight, 306 or 1.64 percent were overweight, 587 or 3.14 percent were underweight, and 126 or 0.67 percent were severely underweight.
“The nutritional status of children continues to improve in Antique because of the programs (we have) implemented,” said PNC focal person Josephine Morano.
Antique Governor Rhodora J. Cadiao said amid challenges such as calamities and accidents, the support of united Antiqueños paved the way to the peaceful environment and progress of the province, thereby impacting the welfare of children.
“We can now look forward to a brighter 2024 because of what we had achieved in 2023,” Cadiao said. (PNA)
