Bohol launches P10 M milk feeding

For stunted, wasted, underweight

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol (PIA)—The Provincial Government, through the Provincial Nutrition Council launches recently a P10-M milk feeding and milky-bun supplementation feeding targeted to address the malnutrition that would impact on the growth and productivity of the upcoming generations.

The Provincial Nutrition Council here, which Bohol Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado heads, showed a total of 12,508 kids who are either: stunted, wasted, underweight or overweight, from 0 to five years old, as targets for the milk and milky bun supplemental feeding.

In the program launching last week, Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado, speaking through executive assistant Oscar Valles shared Bohol’s continued struggle for a healthy community which leads to a brighter future for all.

Bohol joins the 51st Nutrition Month as it continues to commit to securing healthy communities which lends to a brighter future for residents, Valles read from the governor’s message.

Continuing to improve on its children’s nutritional status as manifested in the Department of Health’s Operation Timbang Plus, Bohol has adopted to a supplemental milk feeding program for its children with nutrition issues, while also helping the agriculture sector by allowing the local dairy industry to prosper, according to Provincial Nutrition Coordinator, nutritionist and dietician Glenda Grafilo reported.

The P10 million goes to purchase milk and milk buns, produced by farmer cooperatives as technically assisted by the Office of the Provincial Veterinarian (OPV), the Philippine Carabao Center at the Ubay Stock Farm and the National Dairy Authority, Grafilo shared at Kapihan sa PIA.

The infusion of fresh funds for the industry has allowed Bohol carabao and cattle industry to produce over a thousand liters of milk every day, something that pessimists are now keenly looking into; knowing that milk consumption for Boholanos used to be very low.

Former provincial veterinarian Dr. Stella Marie Lapiz however said “there was a low consumption because families were dependent on imported milk, with local dairy supplies only relegated to the backyard industries.”

With a focused support to the industry including a pasteurization plant, farmers are now taking a second hard look at the dairy industry especially when the buying price for a liter, has gone up to P70.

Consumption also exponentially rose, according to the data from the OPV.

In recent years, the Provincial Government, which has seen the pivotal contribution of milk feeding to nutrition, set up the supplemental milk feeding program as a way to also support the local dairy growers.

Carabao milk has several nutritional benefits. It has higher levels of calcium, protein, and phosphorus. Moreover, carabao milk is a good source of Vitamin A, riboflavin, and other minerals like iron, potassium, magnesium, and zinc, which are crucial for various bodily functions, which is ideal for solving nutrition issues, shares Leniefe Aton, PCC Information Officer.

Milk also provides energy, essential for muscle growth and overall vitality.

Set up for kids who have been identified as with stunted growth, wasted, underweight and overweight, the supplementary milk and milky bun feeding is focused on towns with high prevalence of these malnutrition issues, Grafilo said.

Since one bottle of milk has 200 to 250 calories which is still below the calorie requirements for an active kid, the milky bun completes the 400 calories a kid needs to grow healthy in three months, nutritionist and dietician Arden ABrea also added.

This is in order to make nutritious foods more accessible, especially for underserved and low-income communities.

Data from the Provincial Nutrition Council showed that Bohol still has 1617 kids categorized as wasting and severely wasting, the top ten towns with cases include Sagbayan (3.52%) of total kids population, Pres Carlos P Garcia (3.49%), Ubay (2.81%), Danao (2.56%), Bien Unido (2.13%), Clarin (2.08%), Alicia (2.00%), Guindulman (1.92%), San Isidro (1.79%) and Loay (1.68%).

For stunting and severely stunting, 5,694 kids are eligible for the feeding program as towns with high prevalence include Danao (17.46%), Sagbayan (13.69%), Antequera (13.27%), Bien Unido (11.99%), Ubay (11.59%), Dimiao (11.42%), Duero (11.20%), Carmen (11.17%), Getafe (9.41%) and Alicia (9.21%).

The PNC also tracked 2,908 kids who are underweight or severely underweight.

Top ten towns with issues of underweight kids include Danao (6.58%), Ubay (5.67%), Sagbayan (5.64%), Carmen (5.41%), Pres Carlos P Garcia ((5.26%), Duero (5.25%), Dimiao (4.65%), Alicia (4.29%), Bine Unido ((4.03%) and Clarin (3.72%).

And because malnutrition does not only reveal in stunting, wasting and being underweight, 2,289 Bohol kids live dangerous lifestyles being overweight and obese.

Top ten towns with obese kids issues include Antequera (4.92%), Baclayon (4.49%), Sevilla (4.09%), Jagna (3.94%), Clarin (3.65%), Guindulman (3.50%), Lila (3.42%), Sagbayan (3.30%), Cortes (3.15%) and Alburquerque (3.1%).

To this, Governor Aumentado stressed: “Nutrition is a shared concern for everyone. Ultimately, it is a responsibility that requires collaboration across all sectors of society,” even as he called parents and communities to start growing fresh food options in the yard.

I truly believe that we can build a “smart, resilient, and inclusive” future for every Boholano through proper nutrition, where no one goes hungry and everyone thrives in dignity, strength, and energy, the governor said in his message read by Valles. (PIABohol)

P10M DIET SUPPLEMENT. The Provincial Government through the PNC launched the P10M dietary supplementation program in milk and milky bun feeding for malnourished Bohol kids, while at the same time motivating dairy farmers to continue enriching the dairy industry so families can have better access to quality fresh nutritious food. (PIABohol)

NUTRITION AND EXERCISE. While proper nutrition is important, exercise like doing regular zumba also helps break down and use up calories to trim the body and get off from becoming overweight and obese. (PIABohol)