ILOILO CITY (PIA) — The Iloilo Provincial Government, the CORE Philippines, Inc. and three local government units (LGUs) officially signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) as a significant step toward improving child nutrition.
This marks the launching of the second phase of the “Breaking Barriers in the First 1,000 Days of the Child (BBF1KD)” project.
“The BBF1KD project is not just about addressing child stunting. It is about giving our children a fighting chance to live, to thrive, grow and reach their full potential. Let’s make partnership official and take another big step toward building a healthier future for our Ilonggo children,” said CORE Philippines, Inc. President and Executive Director Norma Chan-Pongan.
CORE Philippines, Inc., a private sector representative of the Regional Development Council, in collaboration with LifeBank Microfinance Foundation, leads this three-year partnership that aims to combat child stunting and malnutrition focusing on the critical first 1,000 days of a child’s life, from the time of conception until the second year after birth.
The local chief executives also pledged their commitment to the initiative, with Mayor Francis A. Amboy of Maasin, Mayor Dennis S. Superficial of Sta. Barbara, and Mayor Liecel M. Seville of New Lucena signing the agreement on behalf of their respective LGUs.
The project underscored that stunting is “a sign of chronic malnutrition, indicating a long-term deprivation of essential nutrients, impacting not only the child’s height but also their brain development, immune system and metabolism.”
On the other hand, mothers and children who receive proper nutrition during this period are more likely to overcome life-threatening disease, complete more grades in school, earn higher wages as adults and have healthier families.
The partnership will focus on expanding the BBF1KD project from the two pilot barangays of Maasin town to 26 barangays of the three LGUs. The second phase will now cover 17 villages in Maasin including the two pilot barangays, three from Sta. Barbara and six from New Lucena.
According to Community Nutrition Consultant medical doctor Raymundo Celestino Habito, the partnership will focus on nutrition-specific interventions and is seen to bolster the capacity of LGUs to implement different F1KD programs.
The partnership likewise supports the goals of the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) 2023-2028 with the help of the National Nutrition Council (NNC).
Apart from the three LGUs and the NNC, various national government agencies including the Provincial Government of Iloilo, through the Provincial Health Office, the National Economic and Development Authority (now Department of Economy, Planning, and Development or DEPDev), Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the Department of Health supported the initiative and signed the commitment board.
“Because of all the efforts of everyone, our (Province of Iloilo) prevalence of stunting is down from 7.4 to 4.4. So, that is because of the hard work of everyone,” Iloilo Provincial Health Officer medical doctor Maria Socorro Quiñon noted.
The proponents are hopeful that the BBF1KD Project will improve maternal and child health by enhancing prenatal care, promoting breastfeeding, expanding immunization coverage, and strengthening early childhood nutrition programs, ensuring a healthier future for Ilonggo children. (AAL/FRG/PIA6)
