[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=” av-desktop-hide=” av-medium-hide=” av-small-hide=” av-mini-hide=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=”]
[/av_textblock]
[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’MORE VITAL THAN EVER ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY EDGARDO J. ANGARA
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
SAVE THE CHILDREN Philippines recently launched its third Media Awards to recognize journalists, photographers, and video producers who have provided outstanding coverage on child malnutrition in the Philippines today, in particular of children under five years old.
Alex Badayos’ “Food For Tot” was awarded the “Most Outstanding Photograph,” which is a black and white depiction of a toddler trying to eat a bowl of rice. When he received the award, Mr. Badayos said that he took the picture to show that while malnutrition is a global problem, it also happens right in his neighborhood.
Andres Patricio Bonifacio’s “Si Inay at ang kanyang inakay,” a picture of a mother and her three children sitting in a riverside shanty, won the People’s Choice Award for photography. A public school teacher, Mr. Bonifacio said he’d share his cash prize winnings to start a feeding program at the school where he teaches.
The “Most Outstanding Article” award was given to “Wasted Children” by Cherry Ann Lim, who writes for one of Central Visayas’ major newspapers. Hailing from Cebu, Ms. Lim said that while her province is among the richest in the country, almost 1 million there lived in poverty, pointing to a high prevalence of malnutrition. Through her reporting, Ms. Lim found that as of SY 2016 to 2017, up to 11 percent (or around 36,000) of the children enrolled in public elementary schools under the DepEd’s Cebu Provincial School Division were undernourished — being either underweight or stunted.
Joseph Tristan Roxas meanwhile received the People’s Choice Award for the article, “Senate hikes P13 daily daycare meal allowance to P20.” A journalist for one of the country’s prominent online news outlets, Mr. Roxas said that the awards have become an added motivation for him to work harder, not just for his readers, but also for the children who really need the public’s attention.
Coverage on North Cotabato by GMA News’ Biyaheng Totoo was awarded the “Most Outstanding Special Feature.” Members of the production team said that the work they do is “always for the others, the marginalized, the voiceless and the oppressed.”
The “Most Outstanding Short Film” award was given to “Mukha” by ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC). Members from the ANC team said that among documentarists, it may seem that all the stories about malnutrition have already been written. But in their view, what’s more important is that media men and women keep on writing these stories because malnutrition is still widely experienced today.
“Gutom” by Reeltime-GMA News was awarded “Most Outstanding Full Length.” “Gutom” was about Baby Ruel who was two years old but weighed as much as a five-month old baby. Members of the production team said that once their documentary aired, assistance for Baby Ruel came flooding in, such that today, he receives regular check-ups. They said that as media professionals, they are given both the power and responsibility to use different media platforms to help change people’s lives.
Invited to give the opening remarks at the awards night, I shared with the audience how I got into my lifelong advocacy on child malnutrition, when I learned early on in the course of my education reform work that malnutrition was the top reason why the dropout rate was highest in grades 1 to 3.
That reality prompted several civic leaders and myself to set up a targeted school feeding program (SFP) in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd). Grades I, II and III pupils were the chosen cohort because they were in the most important phase of mental and physical development.
The SFP went through a 120-day feeding cycle, over three school calendar years. The menu consisted of fortified noodles, an egg, and a glass of milk, which at the time cost roughly P11 or P12 per head. The menu was designed by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI-DOST). All the pupils underwent weight and height measurement before and after the 120-day feeding program.
Each student’s progress in academics, attendance, and nutrition was monitored and recorded. By the end of the first feeding period, there was a measurable 90-percent improvement in the pupil’s attendance, academics and health.
After a while, I was invited to visit Taiwan’s fruit and vegetable research institute, where I was briefed on food and nutrition in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly of children. I learned that compared to their counterparts in the region, Filipino kids ate less fruits and vegetables, despite the fact that such nutritious foods are so easy to grow in the Philippines.
That visit prompted me to initiate a new program in partnership with the DepEd on fruit and vegetable gardening called “Oh My Gulay!” (OMG). That program is still ongoing and an appealing object of corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects.
The program is nationwide in scope and conducted on a voluntary basis. The students, teachers, and parents help tend to these gardens and the harvest then go into the school meals for the children. Through such arrangement, children are made more aware that what their brains and bodies need can actually be grown in their own backyards.
Those school-feeding initiatives complemented the Rooming-in and Breast-Feeding Act of 1992 (RA 7600) and the Early Years Act (RA 10410) that embody my commitment to child’s health and education.
These initiatives notwithstanding, much much work still needs to be done to combat malnutrition in our midst. During the Awards Night, SAVE THE CHILDREN Country Director Ned Olney stated that according to a new study, nearly half or 48 percent of Filipino children under 5 who died in 2015 passed away with malnutrition as the underlying cause. That means up to 31,000 Filipino children — or 85 each day — died in 2015 because they were deprived of nutritious and affordable food. (Email: angara.ed@gmail.com| Facebook & Twitter: @edangara)/PN
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
