KAPANGAN, Benguet (PIA) -- Couples of reproductive age in far-flung Barangay Sagubo in this town benefitted from the outreach program by a local media group and the National Nutrition Council – Cordillera.
The community outreach program dubbed “Nutri-Pasada” of the Cordillera Administrative Region - Media Educators on Nutrition (CAR-MENu) thru the NNC-CAR in partnership with the local government of Kapangan headed by Mayor Manny Fermin, served at least 40 couples with stunted children ages 0-6 months.
Barangay officials led by Barangay Captain Danny Eke, nutrition and health workers and other community members also attended the one-day activity last October 4.
The group educated the parents on various topics on mother and child health and nutrition. Benguet State University Department of Human Nutrition instructor Jessielyn Pantalone talked about the “Father’s and Mother’s Roles in the First 1000 Days of a Child” while Breastfeeding advocate Dr Anne Mendoza of the Breastfeeding Care Center of the North talked on the “Infant and Young Child Feeding Practices.”
Kapangan Municipal Agriculturist Peter Begawan also discussed the utilization of vegetables seeds and home gardening.
The group also turned over to the participants health and hygiene kits from various donors which include Aldrtz Inc., Curamed Pharmacy, and Forrest Pharmacy. Vegetable seeds for backyard or home gardening given by the Department of Agriculture – Cordillera were also distributed.
NNC-CAR Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator Bella Basalong said the Nutri-Pasada aims to raise knowledge and understanding of mothers including their husbands or partners on their shared roles in ensuring proper nutrition in the first 1000 Days of a child and promote proper infant and young child feeding practices.
Based on the 2021 OPT Plus or the Operation Timbang Plus results, the municipality Kapangan has high stunting prevalence among children 0-59 months old with 18.82 prevalence (216 children), Basalong shared. Thus, the selection of Sagubo for the outreach.
Fermin expressed gratitude to the NNC-CAR and the CAR-MENu for the outreach program benefitting those in the far-flung barangay of the municipality. He said that the activity will surely help the municipality in its interventions in addressing the malnutrition in the barangay. (JDP/RMC- PIA CAR)