Kalibo, Aklan – For helping bring Aklan’s malnutrition level of pre-school kids on continuous downtrend, 17 Barangay Nutrition Scholars were honored recently at this year’s Provincial Nutrition Awarding Ceremony at the Gov. Corazon L. Cabagnot Tourism and Training Center.
Their Christmas celebration will also be a little brighter as along with their certificates of awards, they were also given by the provincial government cash incentives, including their municipal and barangay nutrition committees amounting to a total of P40,300.00.
Each of the 17 BNSes got P800.00 as cash incentives, and four of them got additional cash as Provincial Nutrition Scholars.
These four were Luichi Felidario of Buenafortuna, Nabas, 1st placer, who received P1,600.00; Novie Sucgang, Tabon, Batan, P1,400.00: and Rodelio del Rosario of Agcawilan Lezo and Arlene Leyson of Bubog, Numancia who tied at 3rd place, P1,000.00 each.
The most remarkable feat, according to Crescini Roxas, Nutrition Dietician II of the Provincial Health Office here, was attained by Luichi Felicidario for being Nabas town’s outstanding BNS as well as having been adjudged as the number one Provincial Nutrition Scholar and enabling her barangay, Buenafortuna to become the number one Barangay Nutrition Committee of the province.
The municipal nutrition committee of Nabas is also Aklan’s 1st placer, getting a P2,700 cash award.
Nabas is now on its second year as regional winner in nutrition and next year, if it will maintain this status, it will become a Consistent Regional Winner on Nutrition (CROWN) awardee.
Other outstanding MNCs awarded were Numancia, 2nd, P2,100; Banga, 3rd, P1,500; and Tangalan, 5th, 1,300.00.
As maintenance awardee, the municipality of Kalibo got P2,700.00.
Roxas said strategies employed by the barangay nutrition scholars in attaining the continuous downtrend in malnutrition prevalence rate among pre-schoolers which, as of this year, is 11.06%, down, from 15.75 last year and 21% in 2004 - included supplemental feeding, nutrition information education, community/home/school food production, and micronutrient supplementation and food fortification.
She stressed that for school children, it is already the Department of Education that monitors the nutritional status of the pupils.
Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer Elma Malbas said that in Aklan, day care centers in three municipalities – Tangalan, Buruanga, and Lezo were recipients of the food-for-school program of the national government. Under this program, day care children get a kilo of rice each everyday for 120 days, which was deemed a contributory factor in improving the nutritional status of pre-schoolers. She also said kindergarten and Grade I pupils who are under the care of DepEd also got the same supply.
Malbas concedes, however, that if `the bulk of the budget for this scheme for 2007 be re-aligned by the Senate, the same arrangement will not be enjoyed next year by pre-schoolers and school children, which might affect the gains seen on the children through this program.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the school feeding program is part of the pro-poor programs as well as part of addressing the health program problem of the children in school. He stressed the program is a form of assistance to the poor families of the school children.
For his part, Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr. said the program has not only lessened malnutrition among poor families but also increased academic aptitude due to improved school attendance. (PIA)
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