BAGUIO CITY (PIA) — The Regional Social Development Committee, through the Regional Implementation and Coordination Team and the Regional Nutrition Committee (RNC), is set to implement a project targeting the dual challenges of poverty and malnutrition.
Nutritionist Dietitian Candice Salingbay of the Department of Health -Cordillera said the municipality of Paracelis in Mountain Province is selected as a pilot beneficiary of a social development project focused on uplifting its nutritional status.
The project aims is to provide assistance in the implementation of nutrition-sensitive, and nutrition specific programs to reduce incidence of malnutrition among the under-five children in the municipality; enhance capacity of the local nutrition committee members, health and nutrition workers in the prevention and management of malnutrition; foster collaboration among the various nutrition stakeholders for a unified and coordinated effort in addressing malnutrition, and assist in reducing stunting among under-five children.
Paracelis is one of the identified 15 provinces with the highest incidence of iodine deficiency disorders in the country.
Among the reasons identified that contribute to the high incidence of malnutrition in the area include food insecurity due to inadequate poor quality of foods consumed per meal, large family size, unemployment, and lack of food; inadequate care for/of mothers and children due to parents’ inadequate knowledge on proper infant and young child feeding; inadequate knowledge of parents on good nutrition; insufficient health services, and unhealthy environment such as poor sanitation and hygiene practices, poor waste management like no proper garbage disposal, and unsanitary toilets, among others.
Additional causes of malnutrition include: no incentives or remuneration of barangay nutrition scholars; no allotted budget for nutrition; lack of support from barangay local government unit to the nutrition program, challenge on transportation/mobilization for nutrition program implementation, and cultural beliefs affecting health and nutrition acceptance and behavior change.
Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator Bella Basalong of the National Nutrition Council-CAR said the project will focus on the top three barangays in Paracelis with high incidence of stunting namely; Bantay, Buringal, and Poblacion.
For nutrition-sensitive and nutrition specific programs, the Regional Technical Assistant on Nutrition group initially identified the conduct of information, education, communication on the importance of breastfeeding, the first 1000 days of life, nutrition education, adolescent health program, feeding program, on maternal health and responsible parenthood.
Other identified programs include IEC, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene program, waste management program, livelihood programs/skills training, training on cacao processing, provision of aquaculture livelihood inputs, post-harvest training, business development seminar, enhancement of banana processing, and provision of farm inputs and small equipment farm, and establishment of solar power irrigation system, calibration of weighing scales, capacity building to the BLGU on governance, and nutrition program, assistance in crafting health ordinances.
The identified activities are based on assessment conducted in Paracelis from April 3-4, 2024.(JDP/MAWC-PIA CAR)
Candice Salingbay, ND-IV of DOH-CHC-CAR (with mic) presents the result of the consultation and needs assessment in Paracelis, Mt. Province during the special RTAN meeting held April 30, 2024. (Photo by MAWC/PIA-CAR)
Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator, Bella Basalong of NNC-CAR (with mic) presents the objective of the nutrition project in Paracelis following the preparation of the work plan by RTAN members. (Photo by MAWC/PIA-CAR)
