PASAY CITY, December 21, (PIA) - - After more than a decade, Mandaluyong City, the Tiger City brings back honor to the National Capital Region (NCR) by grabbing the 2016 Nutrition Honor Award (NHA), the highest award conferred to a local government unit (LGU) by the National Nutrition Council NNC) in the recent 2016 National Nutrition Awarding Ceremony.
NHA is conferred to Consistent Regional Outstanding Winner (CROWN) in Nutrition for three consecutive years and who received a 98% and above rating in the Monitoring and Evaluation of the Local Level Implementation (MELLPI) during the national evaluation, evident of a consistent outstanding performance in efforts for nutrition improvement. Only three LGUs in NCR were able to achieve this feat since it started in 1998: Makati City in 1998; Pateros in 2002 and Las Piñas in 2003. NHA is a much coveted award but the road leading to it is steep and high considering that NCR is the country’s center of everything and a repository of migrants from all regions. Former Mandaluyong City Mayor Benhur Abalos in his response chronicled the nine years of the city’s struggle to raise the nutrition status of his constituents. Abalos said, “ In 1998, we were seventeenth in nutrition implementation among 17 LGUs in NCR. But this did not deter us.” Guided by the city’s battle cry of “Gawa, Hindi Salita”, Benhur Abalos, ably aided by his wife and Mandaluyong City’s current mayor, Carmencita Abalos, who headed the City Nutrition Committee (CNC), initiated and scaled up integrated packages of services and programs for the welfare of their constituents especially women and children: The Millennium Baby Project was launched in 1999 and strengthened through the Expanded Millennium Baby Project targeting pregnant mothers with high risk conditions.
The “Batang Munting Anghel” was the city’s response to the growing incidence of teen-age pregnancies and was launched in 2012. The program gives intensive counselling, education and livelihood assistance both to the young mothers and the young father. “MANDA 1000” or “Isang Libong Araw Para sa Batang Wow” revitalizes the focus on providing a comprehensive package of nutrition and related interventions in the first 1000 days of life of a child to achieve optimum child development. “Comple Caravan” an offshoot activity of MANDA 1000, teaches pregnant and nursing mothers proper preparation and feeding of complementary food to babies starting at six months of age.
The Caravan visits barangay on schedule and shares practical skills on meal planning and budgeting through fun learning games and cooking demonstrations. Breastfeeding Patrol (BFP), a breast feeding support group composed of health and nutrition workers at the community level were organized and trained on Nutrition in Emergencies. The BFP group were a big help in safeguarding nursing mothers in evacuation camps as well as protect the babies from infant’s formula donations.
The group has done a lot in giving breastmilk to baby’s in need during emergencies. The feeding program in Day Care centers as well as in schools were further strengthened by improving the menu and increasing the number of pupils being fed. To ensure right weight measurement, teachers were trained on proper weight and height measurements and weighing scales were changed to detecto. Fathers and grandparents were also targeted and were educated on Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) by the City Task Force on IYCF as they play a pivotal role in the success of breastfeeding practice. The teaching of IYCF was extended to intermediate and secondary schools through the Breastfeeding Blitz and through the Girl Scouts of the Philippines. The increasing prevalence of overweight in all ages for five years led to the implementation of wellness exercise interventions in day care centers, elementary schools and even in offices.
Physical activities, lectures on healthy lifestyle and non-communicable diseases were conducted in different sectors to encourage healthy lifestyle. Zumba classes were held for free in all barangays and were participated by men and women of all ages. Mandaluyong City is now a proud holder of a Guiness World Record for the world’s Biggest Zumba Class in July 2015 with a total of 12,975 participants.
The untiring efforts, dedication and support to the nutrition program of all concerned as well as the able leadership led to the decrease in prevalence of all forms of malnutrition in the city. The prevalence of underweight among pre-school children was reduced from 1.2 in 2013 to 0.9 in 2015; stunting from 4.8% to 2.2.
In the same period, the prevalence of wasted and overweight/obese school children also decreased from 5.6% to 2.7% and 5.6% to 1.8% respectively. Abalos emphasized that the support and cooperation of the CNC, the 27 barangay nutrition committees, the barangay nutrition scholars and the guidance of the Regional Nutrition Management Group led by Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator Mila Federizo were a big part in the fulfilment of uplifting the nutrition status of his constituents that led to the city’s getting the NUTRITION HONOR AWARD. The former mayor’s parting words, “It’s not the wealth of the LGU but the will of its officials that can make the change.” (Mandaluyong/RJB/LFB/PIA-NCR)
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