Monday, March 31, 2008 Malnutrition drive awaits City's action
NUTRITION programs for Cebu City’s barangays with the highest number of malnutrition cases have already been laid out, but City Hall departments have yet to implement them.
Former mayor Florentino Solon, City Hall consultant on nutrition programs, said they have already done their job where nutrition education is concerned.
After designing, developing and delivering the nutrition and food security program for the barangays, the City Health Department (CHD) and the City Agriculture Office were supposed to take over for the implementation, he said.
Unfortunately, the CHD is still busy with the anti-dengue and measles campaign, Solon told Sun.Star Cebu.
In a phone interview, Solon also said he is wondering why Vice Mayor Michael Rama and the City Council asked for an update on the nutrition program during their session last week when he recently gave them copies of the report on the status of the program.
Rama asked for an update after learning that in Barangay Kalunasan, it is a cause-oriented group that is taking care of the feeding program for undernourished children.
But Solon said the nutrition program is not limited to feeding activities.
“I think what is lacking here is information and I don’t think I am remiss in that because I gave the vice mayor and some councilors a copy of our accomplishment report,” he said.
Solon, also the president and executive director of the Nutrition Center of the Philippines (NCP), said he personally visited the four barangays with the highest number of malnutrition cases: T. Padilla, San Roque, Alaska in Mambaling and Kalunasan.
The nutrition and food security program ensures a steady supply of highly nutritious food in the households through organic gardening. It also highlights the importance of the involvement of the community in fighting malnutrition.
NCP’s intervention focused on the training of barangay health workers on nutrition education and the food security program.
CHD and the City Agriculture Office personnel were also trained on how to implement the nutrition programs in the barangays.
Delivered
But when he checked the status of the implementation with City Health Officer Dr. Fe Cabugao, Solon said he was told the personnel were still busy with the campaign against dengue and measles.
“Our task as consultant was to design, develop and deliver the new design for nutrition education and food security and we already accomplished that. We even delivered directly to the barangays. But for the implementation, it is up to the CHD and the agriculture office,” he said.
“I have been asking Dr. Cabugao but she said ‘Busy mi sa dengue og tigdas.” So I said, that’s up to you, that’s fair enough also because dengue and measles can cause malnutrition, too,” Solon continued.
The former mayor said the implementation of the nutrition program of the city will be long-term, given the lack of manpower in the barangays.
He recommended that the City invite more volunteers to work as barangay nutrition scholars and health workers to help in the different health programs.
Solon also pushed for the setting up of the Food and Nutrition Center in the city, which would also serve as training center for barangay officials in the implementation of nutrition programs. (LCR)
