By Dolly Yasa
BACOLOD City – Twenty barangays in the province of Negros Occidental received P10 million from the provincial government to address nutritional issues.
These barangays are located in Calatrava and Don Salvador Benedicto towns in northern Negros.
Provincial Administrator Atty. Rayfrando Diaz said that each of the 20 barangays got P500,000 to help them come up with a barangay-based nutrition program, per guidance from the Negros Occidental Nutrition Alliance (NONA), Provincial Health Office and Provincial Planning and Development Office.
Diaz said that while the province manifested improvement in the nutritional status of children ages zero to 59 months, as reported by Provincial Health Officer Ernell Tumimbang, Diaz noted that some local government units have still nutritional issues.
The PHO Operation Timbang Plus (OPT) is an annual weighing and height measurement of all preschool children which is being done in communities to identify and locate malnourished children for referral to relevant nutrition and related services.
Its data are also used for local nutrition action planning, especially in quantifying the prevalence of wasted, stunted, underweight, overweight, and obese children who will be prioritized for interventions in the community, Tumimbang said.
Tumimbang reported a significant decrease in the prevalence of wasting, stunting and obesity, which he said manifested improvement in the nutritional status of children ages zero to 59 months.
While some local government units are doing well, Diaz said there are five LGUs that have nutritional issues, which he described as a “cause for alarm”.
The PHO report identified Don Salvador Benedicto with a high prevalence of stunting in the municipal category and San Carlos in the city category.
San Enrique also topped the municipalities with a high prevalence of wasting and obesity with San Carlos also in the city category, the report added.
The provincial government is now working closely with NONA to assist them in implementing nutrition programs in those 20 identified barangays, Diaz said.