|
Friday, July 29, 2005
Kiangan mayor bares secret for winning nutrition award
MAYOR Albert Indunan of Kiangan in Ifugao province disclosed what could be his municipality's "secrets" to winning the Hall of Fame Award in Nutrition while discussing his town's nutrition program.
He made the revelation during a live interview coordinated by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) aired over radio station dzWT-AM in Baguio City.
He said their town started with a massive information and education campaign (IEC) among parents, teachers, health workers and children during the time of his predecessor, former Mayor Ted Baguilat.
There used to be more than 200 malnourished children in Kiangan, a town with one of the highest number of underfed kids in the region. So, while continuing with the IEC during his administration, they worked beyond the usual once-a-month supplemental feeding program and taught everyone in all their 15 barangays about balanced diets and proper nutrition.
Their municipality also launched the Save a Malnourished Child Program, whereby municipal employees and other private individuals choose one from among the identified malnourished children and provide them with nutritious food. It started with six severe cases and now the number of sponsored children is increasing, as more and more benefactors are coming out. A component of this program is "Piso Para sa SAMC". The accumulated amount from donations thru this program component is used to provide parents with capital for livelihood projects and opportunities as a form of assistance from the barangay, local and provincial governments.
The roles of the different sectors, according to Indunan, must not be disregarded in the success of their nutrition program. The nutrition workers, the health workers, the social welfare development officer, the DILG officer, the Municipal Council, all the individuals and families - everyone worked together to bring down an otherwise alarming number of malnutrition cases in the municipality.
Continuing with an effective nutrition program, together with preserving Kiangan as a premier eco-cultural tourism haven, is now the municipality's biggest challenge.
This fourth class municipality, which boasts of centuries old pottery, American colonialism architecture and a rich literary heritage, has set its sights to excelling in another award - the Child-Friendly Municipality.
Meanwhile, Indunan is inviting everyone to the 60th anniversary celebration of the Victory Day on Yamashita's surrender in Kiangan. The big event on September 2 will feature photo exhibits, peace concerts, mountain treks following Yamashita's route of surrender and a "memorable program." (Cris Rimando/DILG-CAR)
(July 29, 2005 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
|
