BACOLOD City Councilor Simplicia Distrito urged the Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD) and the Urban Basic Services Division (UBSD) to intensify the city's feeding program particularly in barangays with high incidence of malnutrition.

Distrito, who passed a resolution, said DSSD and UBSD are the implementing arms of the City Government as regards the programs on basic services.

She said based on the Community Based Monitoring System (CBMS) Survey of the City for 2018, the barangays with the most number of malnourished children, aging 0 to 5 years old, are Barangay Estefania (30, 218), Barangay Tangub (26, 419), Barangay Handumanan (25, 027), Barangay Singcang-Airport (22, 855) and Barangay Banago (22, 224).

"Maximizing our efforts in addressing the concerns of malnutrition should be done as early as possible given that malnutrition can make the body susceptible to diseases particularly among children," she added.

Distrito noted that it is the thrust of the City Government of Bacolod to eradicate the incidence of malnutrition and to provide quality nutrition and health care interventions at all life stages in all its barangays in accordance with the Millennium Development Goals and the Philippine Development Plan (2017-2022).

Distrito disclosed that the information campaigns in partnership with the barangays, concerned agencies and private sector partners should also be conducted to educate the parents and even the children about proper health and nutrition.