Senator Grace Poe has warned that unless the situation is reversed, chronic malnutrition in the first two years will impair a child for life and leave him with lower chances of finishing school and becoming productive.
At present, she said some 2.2 million underweight and 3.4 million stunted Filipino children have been recorded in the country. She also said over 29,000 children under five years of age die annually due to undernutrition and around $4.5 billion or around 1.5 percent of gross domestic product is lost due to undernutrition.
But she noted that proper nutrition, especially in the first 1,000 days, can be a significant game-changer for the government as it battles malnutrition and poverty.
At the forefront are local government units, tasked to implement health care programs that impact on their constituents and the community.
Speaking during the launch of Quezon province’s “First 1,000 Days of Life” program on Aug. 21, Poe said all-out support and protection must be provided to a child from the mother’s womb until two years old—the most critical period of growth and development.
An advocate of the First 1,000 Days program, Poe said local government units hold a key role in ensuring proper nutrition is given to mothers and children.
“Without this program, undernutrition or malnutrition of mothers and their babies is a big possibility. Undernutrition or malnutrition during this stage can produce irreversible effects such as stunting,” she said.
Poe lauded the provincial government of Quezon led by Gov. David Suarez for leading the way in implementing the program, and urged other local government units to replicate the initiative to address hunger and malnutrition.
“The experience and knowledge you will gain in the implementation of this program will be useful to other provinces who wish to duplicate your program. Kaya sana, masusi niyong i-record at i-document ang lahat ng findings and conclusions niyo dito—pati na rin yung mga problema,” she said.
“In that way, Quezon province will serve as a model for other provinces to follow,” Poe said.
The provincial government has expanded its First 1,000 Days program to include more beneficiaries from 39 municipalities and two cities in the province.
Meantime, one of the “First 1,000 Days” beneficiaries, Mylene Masalunga, who hails from Tiaong, Quezon, thanked Poe and the provincial government for enabling her and fellow mothers to benefit from the program.
Dubbed as the Q1K, the novel health program focuses on food and nutrition, health and sanitation and social care, and provides recipients access to immunization.
Poe is the author of Senate Bill No. 161 seeking to provide a comprehensive healthcare program in every barangay, which includes nutrition and family counselling, proper breastfeeding of children, nutritional support for pregnant and nursing mothers, treatment of malnourished children, and other timely interventions. The measure is awaiting approval on second reading.
According to studies, proper nutrition prevents more than one-third of child deaths per year and improves school attainment, which can lead to smarter and better workers, increase wages and eventually reduce poverty.