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Search on for best ‘Gulayan sa Paaralan’

October 6, 2018

THE Department of Education (DepEd)-Central Luzon has announced the regional search for the Best School Implementer of the “Gulayan sa Paaralan” program (GPP) this October.

The DepEd-Central Luzon, in statement to SunStar Pampanga, said that the search aims to validate the implementation of the GPP relative to its objectives, to document best practices which can be shared to other implementers, and to recognize the efforts of best implementing schools.

The criteria to be used in the search include the number of vegetables planted in terms of square meters, presence of urban or containerized gardening, presence of school nursery or crop museum, adaptation of different strategies or technologies such as bio-intensive gardening, organic pest management, and organic fertilizer.

The regional search committee composed of the regional nutritionist as the chairperson, shall also validate reports regarding feeding program, accessibility and sufficiency of water supply, and other relevant activities such as waste management, and income generating projects.

The top three winners shall receive plaques of recognition and cash prizes worth P50,000, P30,000, and P20,000 respectively.

The deadline for the submission of entries is on October 26, 2018.

Last September 10 to 14, the DepEd, through its School Health Division (SHD) under the Bureau of Learner Support Services (BLSS), gathered its health personnel from all over the country for the National Capacity Building on the Integrated School Nutrition Model (ISNM).

The said training is a collaborative project of DepEd, the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction, and the Department of Science and Technology - Food and Nutrition Research Institute, the ISMN integrates nutrition interventions under DepEd’s School-Based Feeding Program, GPP, and Nutrition Education Program, to help improve the nutritional state of schoolchildren, and improve their knowledge and attitude towards nutrition and gardening.

DepEd has also issued the policy and guidelines on the Oplan Kalusugan sa DepEd through DepEd Order No. 28, 2018 dated July 6, 2018. The issuance includes the strategies and activities (management and institutional arrangements, planning and targeting, coordination with partners, orientation of personnel, conduct of the One Health Week, continuation of the health and nutrition services and activities, funding, reporting and recording, and monitoring and evaluation), roles and responsibilities of the field offices, and prohibited acts and undertakings.

Milking It: Addressing stunted growth and underweight problems among kids

By Rob Gonzales|October 07,2018 - 09:42 PM

FIRST, the hard facts.

One out of every three children in the Philippines aged 5 to 10 years old is suffering from stunted growth. On top of this, one out of every three children aged 5 to 10 years old is underweight. This is according to the 2015 Updating of the Nutritional Status of Filipinos developed by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Philippines (FNRI).

Stunted growth is defined by The World Health Organization as the “failure to reach one’s full potential for growth” and poor nutrition is one of its many causes. This can result in a child being underweight or weighing less than the average for his or her age and height.
But there is a way to address this problem.

Idelia G. Glorioso, Senior Science Research Specialist of the Department of Science and Technology-Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Philippines (DOST-FNRI), said that drinking milk, plus an active lifestyle, can help kids achieve their proper height and weight.

Bent on raising awareness on the importance of having proper nutrition, Glorioso, who was the resource speaker in a recently held forum on information regarding the country’s nutrition status, emphasized that stunted growth as well as being underweight are problems that should not be ignored.

She also added that if not addressed early, stunted growth may lead to lost productivity and opportunities, and to nutrition-related
diseases later in life.

It is a known fact that milk is essential for growing children to have enough and consistent nutrient
intake to ensure maximum growth potential.

After a successful launch in Manila and a media roundtable discussion in Davao, Alaska’s Batang Alaska Milk Program was brought to Cebu City
for another media roundtable discussion to promote awareness about stunted growth and being underweight among kids and how these can be addressed with proper nutrition.

Glorioso emphasized the need for parents to make sure their kids, especially those who are three to 12 years old, to maintain a diet that is energy giving (Go), which means rice and other alternatives, body building (Grow), which refers to protein sources, like meat and fish, and body regulating (Glow), which is composed of fruits and vegetables.

The aim of the forum is to provide information on proper and affordable nutrition to Filipinos, which Alaska Milk Corporation has been doing for over four decades.

“Our mission and vision is to promote affordable nutrition in the Philippines because through this, the Filipino youth will be able to achieve their full potential and grow up competitive in life,” said Isabel Ruiz, Alaska Milk Corporation Marketing Manager.

To support this goal, they have launched the new Alaska Fortified Powdered Milk, which is a good source of vitamin D, high in calcium and iron and packed with protein.

It has “essential nutrients that will help every Filipino child achieve the right height and weight for their age.”

Ruiz encouraged everyone to drink milk everyday as well as maintain a balanced diet and an active lifestyle.

RESTAURANTS UNITE TO FIGHT CHILD MALNUTRITION

RESTAURANTS UNITE TO FIGHT CHILD MALNUTRITION

THROUGH the initiative of global humanitarian organization Action Against Hunger, restaurants have come together to fight child malnutrition. Called “ Restaurants Against Hunger,” the campaign runs from October 1 to December 1. During this period, participating restaurants will be donating a portion of the sale of specially marked dishes on their menu to projects combating child malnutrition in the Philippines. Diners can be a part of the movement to help provide food to the most disadvantaged children and their families in the country by patronizing the participating restaurants and ordering the featured dish/es labeled as “dishes that feed more.” So far, participants this year are Alba Restaurante Espanol, Aracama, Azuthai, Cafe Mediterranean, Calderon, Chef Laudico OK Cafe, Chelsea Kitchen, Chotto Matte/lzakaya Sensu, Corner Tree Cafe, Cyma, Friends & Family/Coconut Club, Green Pastures, Grilla, Ikomai, llustrado, Kabila, Museum Cafe, Providore, Saboten, Sangkap, Simple Lang, Sobremesa, Terraz Bistro & Meetings, Terry’s Bistro, The Old Spaghetti House, The Shrimp Shack, Wild Ginger and The Bistro Group. "We hope to sign up more,” said Action Against Hunger Fundraising and Resource Development Manager Dale Nelson Divinagracia. Restaurants that wish to join can simply register at www.restaurantsagainsthungerphilippines.org. This program is very easy to implement, inexpensive and unites the restaurant staff and customers for a lifesaving cause. This was attested during the launch by Chiqui Mabanta, owner and general manager of Corner Tree Cafe which has been supporting Restaurants Against Hunger since year one. The campaign started on World Food Day in France in 1998 and has been implemented in Bolivia, Canada, Colombia, Germany, Guatemala, India, Italy, Peru, Spain, the UK and the US. In the Philippines, Restaurants Against Hunger on its third year has helped make it possible for Action Against Hunger to implement several programs. The most recent was their response to the Marawi conflict, where a total of 206,613 individuals benefited from the nutrition screening and distribution of emergency food aid and hygiene kits. The organization also provided access to safe water and sanitation facilities in the provinces of Lanao del Surand Lanao del Norte. Through their water, sanitation and hygiene projects in the areas of Masbate, North Cotabato and Maguindanao, they have provided rural barangays access to clean water, created tap stands and toilets, and conducted hygiene promotion sessions to fight the spread of diseases that will lead to malnutrition A total of 180 barangays were declared as Zero Open Defecation Communities, positively affecting 738,566 individuals. To maintain the culture of cleanliness, 730 barangay health workers were trained to continue the work started. Restaurants Against Hunger has also funded nutrition and food security, and livelihood projects in Zamboanga City for the internally displaced people that were forced to evacuate their homes during the 2013 siege. Based on the latest survey conducted by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology, more than 3.8 million or 33.4 percent of Filipino children are stunted. This number is up from 30.1 percent in 2015. Stunting, also called Chronic Malnutrition, refers to a child who is too short for his or her age. It is the result of poor nutrition during early childhood. Children suffering from stunting may never attain their full possible height and their brains may never develop to their full cognitive potential. The effects are irreversible and can last a lifetime. These children face learning difficulties in school, get sick more often and earn less as adults. The same survey also identified 800,000 or 7.1 percent of Filipino children to be suffering from wasting. Wasting, also called Acute Malnutrition, refers to a child who is too thin for his or her height. It is the result of rapid weight loss or the failure to gain weight due to poor nutrient intake or disease. Children suffering from wasting have weakened immunity, are vulnerable to long-term developmental delays, and face an increased risk of death. “ In 2016 Action Against Hunger and the Institut de Relations Internationales et Strategiques [IRIS], an international think tank that focuses on geopolitical and strategic issues, released a study entitled ‘Socio-economy of Chronic Malnutrition in the Philippines: A preliminary key trends analysis by 2030’ to support strategic action in fighting malnutrition in the Philippines. According to the study, the Philippines ranked ninth among countries with the highest number of stunted children,” revealed Action Against Hunger Country Director Guy Halsey. “ It’s imperative that we take steps to stop the upward trajectory of malnutrition in the country. Restaurants Against Hunger is a start and everybody can participate. We can all channel our passion for food into life-saving impact against hunger and child malnutrition,” he added. Restaurants Against Hunger is co-presented by McCormick Culinary. Sponsors are Foodpanda, Marca Leon and Mida Food. Supporting the campaign are the LTB Chefs Association Philippines and The Spanish Chamber of Commerce. Collaborators are Acceler8, Digital Out-of-Home Philippines, Nyxsys Philippines, Pitchworks Inc. and Summit Outdoor Media. To know more about the campaign, visit www. restaurantsagainsthungerphilippines.org or follow these social-media accounts @RestaurantsAgainstHungerPH and @ActionAgainstHungerPH on Facebook, @RestaurantsAgainstHungerPH on Instagram and #EndHungerPH, #RestaurantsAgainstHungerPH on Twitter