Maasin City Kicks Off 36th Nutrition Month Celebration

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MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte --  Maasin City Nutrition Committee kicked off the nutrition month-long celebration this July with a launching ceremony last July 5 during the flag raising


with the officials and employees at the city hall grounds, City Health Officer Dr. Francilisa I. Tan, reported  in an interview live over radio station DyDM this morning.


This year’s nutrition month carries the theme: “Sa pagkaing tama at sapat, wastong timbang ni baby ang katapat”.  Dr. Tan stressed  that  the theme focuses on the importance of complementary feeding as a strategy to prevent under nutrition especially among children.       


“Complementary feeding targets 0-6  months old children to be exclusively  breastfeed and 6 months and onwards for children to take solid food,” Tan disclosed. “Some of the parents have not informed that 50-70 percent of the milk from mothers’ breast  is  water, which is one of the best food for babies” she added.


Some of the activities  mentioned  are as follows: Search for the Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Committee that has the lowest in malnutrition rate; Search for outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar; awarding for the Magulay and Bahay Search led by the Office of the City Agriculturist; feeding program to be conducted by a non-government organization; identification of  ten nutritionally depressed barangays/schools, among other regular programs that were implemented throughout the year supported by City Mayor Maloney Samaco.


“Mayor Samaco had been very supportive for the health programs in the city,” Tan stressed during the city’s regular program, “Maasin City in Action.” The budget for the health  program  was raised from P800,000 last year to P1 million for this year, Tan revealed.


The Barangay Nutrition Scholars were also given an honorarium of P500 per month excluding the honorarium they get from the barangay where they belong, Tan added.


The culmination program is scheduled on the 29th of July at Brangay Maria Clara which was identified with the highest number of malnourished children.  It will be attended by the member-agencies of the city’s nutrition committee. (PIA-soleyte)