MANILA Mayor Honey Lacuna enjoined the support of parents and barangay officials to ensure the health of pre-school children, saying it is important in laying their foundation for a full, progressive life ahead.
Lacuna made the call as she led yesterday’s launch and implementation of the Dietary Supplementation Program (DSP) for pre-school children in Manila, led by the Manila Health Department under its chief, Dr. Poks Pangan and held at the BBAC Social Hall in Barangay 841, Pandacan, Manila. Also assisting in the said event was assistant MHD chief Dr. Ed Santos.
The mayor said that the DSP is a city initiative aimed at supplementing the diet of nutritionally-vulnerable groups, particularly pregnant women and infants and young children six to 23 months old in food-insecure households; three to five years old children and severely wasted or wasted Kinder to Grade 6 school children, specially those coming from very poor households.
“This year’s budget of the city for DSP amounting to P2 million will cater 215 beneficiaries among the 48 barangays of Districts 2,4 and 6. This activity will run up to 120 days of feeding from Mondays to Saturdays. Among the beneficiaries are those who are moderately wasted, underweight and severely underweight and some stunted preschool children,” Lacuna added.
According to Pangan, wasted children are those whose weight or height are not commensurate to their age.
Pangan said that the beneficiaries, just like those who were catered at the launch yesterday, will be dewormed and physically examined by the city’s health centers prior to the feeding proper.
He added that regular bi-monthly weighing will be done and if there is no weight progress or change after a month, they will be examined by the health centers once again.
In line with the program, Lacuna directed the MHD to give the parents or caregivers weekly nutrition-related lectures to ensure the success of the program. Barangay chairmen meanwhile, will be given orientation on the details of the program so as to maximize the support that they could provide.
The said feeding program will be monitored by the Barangay Nutrition Scholars and Nutritionist Dietitians with the support of the health centers and barangays involved. (Baby Cuevas)
