THE “terrible two” is mantra for parents who are forewarned to keep vast reserves of energy to catch up with the outburst of hyperactivity exhibited by one’s child at this age.
On the other hand, if one’s two-year-old is listless, this should be a red flag to parents and health workers implementing the Early Childhood Care and Development Intervention Package for the First 1,000 Days (ECCD IP/1000).
According to Cherry Ann T. Lim in the three-part special report published by SunStar Cebu on July 27-29, Cebu is one of 10 provinces prioritized for the ECCD IP/1000 program, which intervenes to improve the nutrition of two-year-olds.
Sources at the National Nutrition Council (NNC) say that nutrition is crucial during the first 1,000 days, covering from conception to the first two years, reported Lim in “1,000 days to make a difference.”
Also published on July 27, “Malnutrition costs Philippines P328B” focuses on the disparity between the wealth of Cebu, “richest province in the Philippines,” and the hidden hunger haunting a third of Cebuanos, along with attendant ills, such as physical and mental stunting and life-long economic losses, among others.
Why does undernutrition afflict Filipino children when nutritious and affordable food is available? In the second part of the special report series, Lim highlighted the neglect of parents and the prevalence of teenage parents as influencing factors.
In “Absent parents, pregnant teens fuel child hunger,” published on July 28, wasting (“being too thin for one’s height”) affects 860 of the children in San Fernando, of which 305 are severely malnourished. The town leads other Cebu towns and cities in wasting prevalence.
In the same issue, “Stumped on the frontlines in war against malnutrition” reported how politics results in the frequent changes of barangay nutrition scholars (BNSs), who lead in implementing the barangay’s nutrition program.
The political will to activate the barangay nutrition committee is as crucial in ensuring that early nutrition is a priority for public funding and implementation. In Talisay City’s “Halad sa Barangay” program, feeding and other health programs are incorporated, reported Lim in “Reaching out to save children” on July 28.
In the third part of the “Wasted children” special report series, published on July 29, Lim reported in “Happy and healthy in day care” how day care centers and supervised neighborhood play (SNP) can address gaps in supplementing the nutrition of children two-four years old.
Yet, these community-based frontliners are vulnerable when the flow of funds is obstructed by changes in political administration and lack of support from stakeholders, such as parents, school heads, and barangay officials.
In “11% of public elementary school pupils malnourished,” Lim wrote about how school officials explore partnerships with nongovernment organizations and parents-teachers associations to sustain a feeding program.
Schools must also lead in planting fruits and vegetables and encouraging students to eat nutritiously. The Department of Education’s Gulayan sa Paaralan Program may trickle down to families the basic lessons in health and wellness: parents must lead by example.
In “Poorest of the poor required to learn about nutrition,” programs like the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s 4Ps Conditional Cash Transfer Program are linked with the Department of Health’s Management of Severe Acute Malnutrition for children below 15 years.
Linking these programs boosts the emphasis of key basics in the fight against child malnutrition. For instance, by achieving food self-sufficiency through communal, backyard or container gardens, Filipinos provide for the future, which begins with “planting the seeds of knowledge (as) the start of better child nourishment,” wrote Lim.