Tabuk City, Kalinga – In a simple turn-over ceremony, Inter-Agency Task Force on Zero Hunger (IATF-ZH) and Nestle Philippines provided around 1,887 food sets this Saturday, September 25, 2021, to nutritionally at-risk pregnant women in the province.
Said assistance was a response to the request of Provincial Governor Ferdinand B. Tubban and Congressman Allen Jesse Mangaoang to the IATF-ZH Chairperson.
The other beneficiaries of the program identified by the Zero Hunger committee shall be granted with the food set in the following days.
First 1,000 days of a child, most critical
In a message, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles underscored that the first 1,000 days of children is the most critical stage particularly on their brain development that there is a need for pregnant women to be given proper and sufficient nutrition, thus the giving of the food sets.
“Alam mo yung 1,000 first days of life, base sa siyensya, mga doctor, mga eksperto, itong pinaka-kritikal period sa buhay ng tao…Dito po pumapasok yung ‘rapid brain development’ ng mga bata. Dito natin malalaman pag ang bata ba ay lalaki ng matalino o lalaki na kulang ang potentials. Sabi nga nila pag di natin naagapan ang 1,000 days of life, eh maaring dehado ang bata habambuhay,” Nograles said.
“Napakahalagang dapat mamulat sa consciousness ang ating mga kababayan na dapat, simula pa lamang ng pagkabuntis ay dito mapangalagaan ang kalusugan ng ating mga anak,” he added.
Nograles also shared that a journal was crafted by the task force containing tips on what should be considered in taking care of their children from conception until they become five years old. The journal will be given to the recipients, along with the food sets.
Tubban expressed thanks to the national government and Nestle Philippines
As a response to the initiative, Governor Ferdinand Tubban expressed gratitude to the Cabinet Secretary for choosing Kalinga as one of the beneficiaries of the program and to Nestle Philippines, the government’s counterpart for directly delivering the goods which will be packed for distribution.
The food sets, as part of the National Food Policy (NFP) project, aim to address the dietary needs of nutritionally at-risk pregnant women for 90 days to prevent child wasting and stunting during the first 1,000 days of a child, by providing the nutritional needs before birth.
According to the Provincial Information Office, the food sets were distributed to all towns in the province where 67 food packs were given to Lubuagan, 61 for Pasil, 260 for Pinukpuk, 191 for Rizal, 60 for Tanudan, 89 for Tinglayan, 52 for Balbalan and 985 for Tabuk City.
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