Integrated Nutrition Program launched in San Fabian

by Antonio J. Supremido, Jr.

19 September, 2011 -San Fabian. The Hapag-Asa Integrated Nutrition Program was formally launched this 19^th day September, 2011 at Longos Amangonan-Parac-Parac as the pilot barangay in the parish. The launching was inaugurated with the celebration of the Holy Mass presided over by Rev. Fr. Oliver E. Mendoza, the Parish Priest.

Integrated Nutrition Program

This Integrated Nutrition Program was initially launched in July 2005 by Pondo ng Pinoy Community Foundation headed by Archbishop Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales, Assisi Development Foundation and Feed the Children Philippines. This was already running in most parts in the country and has reached the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan with seven (7) parishes as the pilot areas and one of which is the Parish of Saint Fabian. This program is meant to develop the culture of sharing and loving among various stakeholders, to reduce malnutrition rate among children from 0-6 years old and to improve the capacity of parents to care and provide for basic needs of their children.

Nutrition, education, livelihood

The activity has three (3) program components: the supplemental feeding, the education of parents, and the skills and livelihood training of parents. The supplemental feeding is not meant to substitute the regular meals which the children get from their homes but rather is intended to complement the necessary meals so that they would acquire the required nutrients and vitamins necessary for them to grow strong and healthy. The parents are indispensable in the program. Their role is very crucial in the process. They are not only there to support the program but to see to it that the program is properly implemented and continued even after the feeding is finished. They are required to attend the parents’ education class. They are taught information on how to be effective and affective parents to their children. They are likewise given skills and livelihood training to support the financial needs of their families.

Malnourished Children, Underweight Pregnant, Breastfeeding Mothers

The target recipients are the malnourished children from 0-6 year old, underweight pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. The period of child’s development is up to 6 year old. The feeding is meant to address the lack or imbalance of nutrients in the body where they don’t usually get from regular meals. If it not addressed properly the physical, psychological, and emotional function of an individual is impaired. He/she is not capable of capable of maintaining adequate level of performance such as physical work, resistance to and recovers from illness. He/she is expected to have low literacy, lack of skills, and lack of concentration in school. So, what kind of people do we have to expect in the future?

Parents are also part of the feeding not just the children, especially the underweight pregnant and breastfeeding parents. We have to safeguard the health of parents so that we can assure the healthiness of the child they carry or breastfeed. The malnourished parents have the reduced capacity to care for the child much more they cannot give what are needed by their children in the process. This can be prevented by giving them nutritious food during their pregnancy or breastfeeding period. Again, the feeding is not meant to substitute the regular meals but as to compliment it.

There are  175 recipients in the program. There are 66 pregnant and breastfeeding mothers and the rest are children from 0-6 year old. At the end of each month, there will be evaluation if there will be an improvement in the physical, emotional and social condition of the children as well as mothers. At the end of six months, 120 days, we expect that our recipients attain the necessary objectives of the program.

Invitation to share

There are quite few parishioners who are willing to take share in the program. They’ve expressed to sponsor a couple of days of feeding by allocating certain amounts for ingredients and materials needed in cooking. But, to implement the program for six months takes a big sum of money to sustain it. We are extending our invitation to our generous and kindhearted fellow parishioners to help and take part in the program. We can never outdo God in His generosity. The amount we can share will surely given back to us by God a hundred times.

We would like also to express gratitude to the barangay council of Longos Amangonan Parac-Parac who has extended their support and assistance in the implementation and monitoring of the program and for deputizing the barangay health workers (BHW) in the identification of our target recipients.

(See also: “”Feeding our Future”)

Feeding our Future

By Ms. Shirley Tersol

San Fabian, Pangasinan – 25 May 2011. In a recent survey conducted by Social Weather Stations, some 20.5 percent of Filipinos or about 4.1 million families are going hungry, an increase almost seven points above the 12-year average of 13.8 percent. Also, 51 percent or some 10.4 million families are considering themselves "mahirap" or poor – two points up from November’s 49 percent, according to a new survey by pollster Social Weather Stations.

The problem of malnutrition is also a persistent problem closely connected with the problem of hunger and poverty. The malnutrition prevalence among children in the Philippines has remained alarmingly high in the last 10 years. Results of the 7^th National Nutrition Survey conducted by Food and Nutrition Research Institute in 2008 showed that there are still about 3 out of 10 children ages 0 to 10 years who are underweight (26.2% for children ages 0-5 years old and 25.6% prevalence for 6-10 years old). About the same proportion (27.9% and 33.1% respectively) are under height which indicates chronic or long-standing malnutrition.

MISA in San Fabian

In response to the prevailing problem of hunger and malnutrition among the children aging 6 months to 6 years old, the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan Ministry of Social Action (MISA) in partnership with HAPAG-ASA, an integrated Nutrition Program connected with the Church based Pondo ng Pinoy of the Archdiocese of Manila and Assisi Foundation and Feed the Children Philippines, embarked on a holistic feeding program in some selected parishes in the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan. These parishes are the pilot parishes for the feeding program of the Ministry of Social Action.

The Parish of St. Fabian, Pope and Martyr is one of the seven parishes involved in the program. The parish has chosen Brgy. Longos Parac-Parac as its pilot barangay. The others are the St. John the Evangelist, Dagupan City, Annunciation of the Lord in Bonuan Gueset, Dagupan City, St. Ildephonse, Malasiqui, Holy Cross, Laoac, St. Dominic, San Carlos and Epiphany of our Lord, Lingayen, Pangasinan.

Hapag Asa: Feeding our Future

The Hapag-Asa Integrated Feeding Program was launched in July 2006 by Archbishop Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales. It aims to develop the culture of SHARING and LOVING as demonstrated in the Miracle of the Multiplication of loaves and fish (Mt. 14:13-21) to children, their families and communities; to reduce malnutrition prevalence rate among 0 to 12 years old children and to improve capacity of parents to care and provide for basic needs of their children.

The program feeds 6 months to 12 year old undernourished children in the community once a day, five days a week for six months. Each meal is enriched with Vitamins and Minerals through the addition of Vitameal a mixture of rice and lentil.

Longos Parac-Parac, San Fabian: Pilot Barangay

The Parish of St. Fabian, Pope and Martyr, has chosen Barangay Longos Parac-Parac as its pilot barangays for the program. Rev. Fr. Oliver E. Mendoza, parish priest of St Fabian said that that there are 118 children and 66 pregnant and lactating mothers who are enrolled in the feeding program in Brgy. Longos Parac-Parac.

Bro. Antonio Supremido, the Parish Program Coodinator, said that the children were first weighed and their height measured before they were enrolled in the Hapag-Asa program.

He explained that the program focuses on 6 months to 12 years old undernourished children and underweight pregnant and lactating women. “The program gives priority to younger age group – 6 years old and below”, he said.

He explained that the program provides one meal a day, five days a week for six months or a total of 120 days. The food can be complete meal or heavy snacks. The workforce is provided by the parents of the enrolled children.

Ms. Michelle A. Vallejos, the Barangay Program Coordinator, said, “The supplemental feeding is just one of the components of the program.”

She said that two other components which are vital to the success of the program are the “Parents’ Education Classes” and the “Livelihood and Skills Training”. The classes are scheduled every Sunday afternoon, while the feeding component is scheduled at 4 o’clock in the afternoon, from Monday to Friday. The seminars will be on affective parenting, livelihood and skills training; health and nutrition; values formation; and responsible parenthood to ensure that the parents can take care of their children even after the feeding.

The Hapag-Asa Integrated Feeding Program has been implemented in 836 parishes all over the Philippines as of November 2010. It has served 128,104 children.

The Parish of St. Fabian, Pope and Martyr, will formally launched the program this coming June 2011.

(Shirley Tersol is a member of the Parish of St. Fabian Ministry of Social Action. She is also at present the Teacher-in-Charge of Jose N. Juguilon Elementary School, Colisao, San Fabian, Pangasinan).