NAVAL, Biliran-In its effort to address malnutrition and focus on the identified underweight children in the province, the Department of Health (DOH) – Health Promotion Bureau through the Biliran Provincial Health Office (PHO) and the Provincial Nutrition Council (PNC) simultaneously launched this August the ‘Karinderya para sa Healthy Pilipinas’ program in the eight municipalities of the province of Biliran.
The 120 days or four months supplemental feeding program under the Karinderya para sa Healthy Pilipinas aims at responding to the nutritional needs of the key target groups like the malnourished children below 5 years old, pregnant women, and lactating mothers.
The hired Karinderya operators provide a daily meal based on the recommended menu for the 261 identified malnourished children from the municipalities of Almeria with 20 children, Biliran (35), Cabucgayan (57), Caibiran (52), Culaba (20), Kawayan (15), Maripipi (17), and Naval (45).
Meals are prepared right at the venue of the feeding activity where the Karinderya operators demonstrate the cooking methods for the parents and guardians to also prepare at home.
Juna Cordero, hired karinderya operator for the municipality of Almeria, demonstrated the preparation of affordable but nutritious foods during the launching of the Karinderya Para sa Healthy Pilipinas. (MLT, PIA Biliran)
Lectures and information dissemination on nutrition activities and programs are shared among the parents and guardians of the beneficiaries to influence their attitudes and behaviors for them to practice in their respective homes.
To ensure smooth, orderly, and successful implementation of the supplemental feeding program from August to December, concerned barangay officials were also tapped to coordinate with the target beneficiaries to religiously take their daily meal allocation.
Rio Rosales, nutrition program coordinator, said the four-month supplemental feeding through the Karinderya para sa Healthy Pilipinas in Biliran, which will end in December this year, is a DOH-funded program with P2.2 million allocation for the province of Biliran.
(MLT, PIA Biliran)
