GENERAL SANTOS CITY — The provincial government of South Cotabato has launched a 120-day supplemental feeding program for children in communities with high prevalence of malnutrition.
Ma. Ana Uy, acting head of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO), said the special feeding program formally started this week in two sitios in Barangay Poblacion of Lake Sebu.
She said the initiative will eventually be rolled out in 28 other sitios and puroks in eight municipalities in the province.
These are located in the municipalities of Banga, Lake Sebu, Norala, Polomolok, Sto. Nino, Suralah, Tantangan and Tupi.
“The community-beneficiaries are mostly far-flung areas that were assessed to have high incidence of malnurition,” she said.
Uy said the program will mainly cater to around 1,600 pre-school children but noted that they will also serve some elderly or senior citizens and breastfeeding mothers.
The official said they have tied up anew with the Hapag-Asa Integrated Nutrition Program for the implementation of the four-month supplemental feeding.
Hapag-asa, a partner of the local government in the implementation of the Good Nutrition Program, will provide for the food packs that would be served to the beneficiaries, she said.
She specifically cited the “manna packs,” which are packed meal formulas developed by food science and nutritionists to supplement nutritional needs and reduce problems on malnutrition among children.
The official said manna packs are “excellent sources of protein, carbohydrates and other important nutrients that are culturally acceptable worldwide.”
Under the program, Uy said they will initially provide the recipients with food packs for the first 60 days.
“We have installed a monitoring system to ensure the goods would not be wasted,” she said
In cooperation with the Barangay Affairs Unit (BAU), a special unit under the governor’s office, she said the beneficiaries would be monitored by assigned community organizers.
Jerry Gamo, BAU chief, said the system also aims to ensure that the targeted impact of the program would eventually be achieved.
“Our office is focused on the properly delivery of these services. This is to ensure that government presence is felt by our residents even at the farthest part of our province,” he said.(PNA)
