MALNUTRITION among Talisay City children was reduced by 92 percent over the year.

The Department of Health (DOH) and the National Nutrition Council (NNC) 7 presented data at a press conference for the launching of the Nutrition Month proving that Talisay, which was among the top 10 cities with malnourished children is effectively addressing the problem.

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City Councilor Shirley Belleza, head of the committees on women and children, and health, commended the barangay health workers for their job.

The barangay health workers (BHWs) were able to identify malnourished children per household and deliver the kids’ porridge (lugaw) right at their doorstep after they were made to report to the barangay hall.

In February 2008, Gary Galado of the Department of Agriculture gave a cooking demonstration on cooking porridge in creative and nutritious ways like adding squash, kangkong, malunggay leaves, chicken, carrots, and egg.

Now, BHWs continue to monitor the children’s weight and a uniform weighing scale was purchased for every barangay as the City is targeting zero percent malnutrition.

“It is not just because of poverty. Pila ra gud ang magasto anang lugaw?” Belleza said.

She said that malnutrition is not primarily due to poverty but that mothers have failed to understand their role.

In Talisay, she found that a number of mothers of malnourished children are immersed in gambling like tong-its in the hope of gaining extra money.

Some kids are also left to solo grandparents since their single mothers have left for Manila, she said.

Educating the parents is an issue. Some parents do not mind even if they are threatened with a case for violating Talisay City’s Child Welfare Code.

Some of them would rather be jailed where food is free, Belleza said.

Her committee will be launching a parenting seminar through elementary schools in addition to pre-marriage seminars of the Department of Social Welfare and Development with parenting topics.

Together with a London-based non-government organization, Mercy in Action, the Tapul Environmental Scholars Association was created.

It is another approach to combat malnutrition with 29 Grade three to five pupil-beneficiaries from the Tapul Elementary School.

A parcel of land was given to Mercy in Action for fruit-tree planting.

The parents of the 29 graders planted mango and jackfruit trees last year.

In turn, the organization enrolled the kids in a daily feeding program.

Harvest from the 390 trees will be sold and the profits will be placed in college education trust fund for the pupils.