Gov’t allots P414M vs hunger, malnutrition in Mindanao

• Source: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/586951/news/regions/gov-t-allots-p414m-vs-hunger-malnutrition-in-mindanao
• Sunday, October 30, 2016 16:14:31

By Mark Merueñas (MM/BM, GMA News)

The government will be pouring P414 million into strife-torn areas in Mindanao to address hunger and malnutrition in southern Philippines.

In a speech at the launch of the "Comprehensive Reform and Development Agenda" for conflict-riddled parts of Mindanao, Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo said the central office of her department had already pledged P200 million for the inter-agency initiative called, Bangsa Moro Umpungan sa Nutrisyun or Bangun.

Of that amount, P46 million would be used for the remaining months of the year, while P154 million would be for next year.

The regional office of the Department of Interior and Local Government in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, meanwhile, has also pledged P214 million for the project.

Taguiwalo said President Rodrigo Duterte "as early as July called our attention to the hunger and malnutrition problem in the ARMM and how our Department should do something about it."

"The President has a built in radar for detecting people’s needs and he is especially concerned with the situation of the children. And for the children of ARMM! He wants to ensure that the children are fed adequately so that they can develop fully and grow into productive adults," she said.

"But the pervasive poverty in ARMM is the main obstacle in Pres Digong’s and our dream of well-nourished and healthy children," Taguiwalo added.

Apart from the DSWD and the DILG, other participating agencies are the Department of Science and Technology, the Department of Health, the Department of Education, the Commission on Higher Education, the Department of Agrarian Reform, and the Department of Agriculture, in close coordination and planning with ARMM officials and agencies.

Taguiwalo said the government project aims to:

1) engage the active participation of the children, parents, communities and concerned LGUs in the entire process of project implementation;

2) harmonize the technical assistance and services of different government agencies in addressing hunger and malnutrition among children 0-12 years old in ARMM;

3) ensure access of children to culturally-appropriate food available in the local communities; and

4) increase the weight of underweight and severely underweight children after 180 days of nutrition support.

She said the project currently targets all the identified children aged 0-12 years old who are underweight in the pilot provinces of Maguindanao, Sulu, and Lanao del Sur.

These children are from the municipalities of Datu Salibo, Datu Piang, Mamasapano, Shariff Saydona Mustapha, Jolo, Patikul and Butig, which were chosen primarily on the rate of malnutrition in the area, said Taguiwalo.

The inter-agency team plans to conduct parent education, baby food production, community-based nutrition support activities, referral of malnourished children to appropriate institutions, membership in sustainable livelihood programs, and referral for communities access to safe and potable drinking water.