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Friday, August 04, 2006
Capillas: Back to basics for nutrition
By Stephen Capillas
The Lowdown
A RECENT forum on the regional nutrition status of Northern Mindanao was spearheaded by the Regional Nutrition Council-10 as part of the just concluded Nutrition Month observance in the country.
With the theme "Kumain ng right para maging batang bright (Eat right to be a bright kid)" last Tuesday's forum served to highlight the government programs and efforts to improve the health of schoolchildren in Region 10 and to map out the plans for parents to better care for their kids through simple activities like raising one's garden to provide for their family's vegetable needs.
While it is easier said than done, building a garden for oneself can be managed through sheer effort and time spent by the parents who can always call on their children to share in the dirty work.
At the same time though, people can simply buy their vegetables through their "suki" or suppliers who are more than willing to give advice and sell their veggies even if they're less than fresh.
Which is why instilling a back to basics mode of living for people used to fastfood and instant solutions are harder than it looks. Although not impossible it is oftentimes tempting to simple take the easier and more convenient escape.
But it can be done; since a lot of Filipinos have this colonial mentality they can always look to foreigners like the British and French, who have used every available space to grow organic foods, cattle and poultry which sell quite high in the commercial market already inundated by the growth of bio-engineered foods.
More so in Japan, where living space is so limited that skyrocketing land values remain the norm. Many Japanese housewives use their limited space to plant their own vegetables.
Back in the 70s the late President Ferdinand Marcos instituted the "Green Revolution" which called on every Filipino to plant their own gardens. Maybe the national government institutes a similar or better program and just make it enjoyable for Filipinos everywhere.
Maybe with a little effort and "go for it" gumption, we Filipinos can develop our own green thumbs and plant more vegetables and fruits in our own limited space.
For comments please send to sunspot12002@yahoo.com or warpath1232@yahoo.com
(August 4, 2006 issue)
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