Daram go full blast in Nutrition Program bringing OFCI’s SHNP

By MYRA M. TAMBOR
February 22, 2011

DARAM, Samar  –  A no let up nutrition program of the Local Government Unit of Daram, Samar was formally launched by Mayor Lucia Latorre-Astorga of this island municipality.  Sighting the importance of proper and balanced nutrition as key to the development of a dignified person as well as the progress of the community where they live, the Mayor personally attended and served a nutritious meal to 10 identified severely undernourished children in Barangay Buenavista, Daram.

Mayor Astorga in her message before the children’s dining, emphasize the importance of an effective nutrition program that should be implemented to ensure development growth in the community and a remarkable health status of the children, hand in hand with the parents, families, barangay governance and the local government unit as well.

“An immune system han aton mga anak in magigin makusog kun tama an nutrition han mga iginpapakaon ha ira, kun makusog an immune system hirayo ha sakit an mga bata”, the Mayor said.  She patiently explained the advantages of a well-nourished child such as good health, good performance in school and eventually good environment in the locality.  The local government unit according to Mayor Astorga will shoulder 2 meals in a day for the children while the parents will take care of the remaining meal as their counterpart.  She further said that the undernourished children will be provided nutritious meals everyday for 3 months of which a constant weight monitoring will be done by the barangay health workers assigned in the area to gauge the success of the program.

A concrete nutrition program is one of the goals of Daram’s current administration.  Being a medical doctor, Mayor Lou as she fondly called by her constituents and friends, is trying to take in hand various health related concerns with meager funds of a 4th class municipality.  In these efforts, she found OFCI (Overseas Filipino Council International) an international organization of Filipinos living in various countries all over the globe whose objective is to help and serve the Filipinos in every manner possible in any place where they may be in the world.  OFCI’s primary mandate is presently directed to poor urban and rural neighborhoods in the Philippines that accept their challenge for self-reliance and self-sufficiency through community development programs.  Daram’s lady Mayor shares the same passion in terms of public service.  In this activity, she used OFCI’s tarpaulin as backdrop in recognition of their valuable contribution to the nutrition program.

OFCI’s Anita’s Kitchen and Self-help nutrition project chaired by Ms. Anita Sese-Schon initially runs a roll-out in the municipality of Daram. Ms. Schon is a Filipina based in Brementon, Washington DC, USA.  She is the chairperson and founder of OFCI. Her project inspired the Mayor who immediately organized women organizations dub as Mobile Kusina, popularly known as MK, whose task is to conduct OFCI’s roll-out along side with other women empowerment efforts of her administration.  MK through its team leader James Gornot is also task to implement the nutrition program and coordinate MK’s efforts with the different related activities of the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office, Municipal Health Office and the Municipal Agriculture Office among other agencies whose mandate goes along with the programs of Mobile Kusina.

The nutrition program in Barangay Buenavista is inspired with the aims of Anita’s kitchen and self-help nutrition program for health conscious diet as a way of promoting wellness and healthy mind and body of the constituents by introducing well balanced and nutritious meals which are affordable by even a below average income families.

Moreover, Daram LGU as a Plan International Philippines recipient municipality also enjoys the intervention of the said non-government organization.  As such, Plan Phils is also conducting child-friendly programs in the locality one of which is collaboration with the Mayor’s office specifically and the LGU generally on their efforts towards child development programs in some identified barangays.

“I hope more partners will come our way as we try to make a difference in the every day lives of our constituents in Daram”, the Mayor said over a simple lunch with those who attended the launching.  She also instructed her staff to enhance the project, sighting the possibilities and probabilities as the project continues and the full implementation of the Municipal Nutrition Action Plan for the next three years. “Focus and appropriate monitoring should also be implemented correctly” she advises her staff.  “Nutrition is perceived to be a minor program but for me it should be a major one because of its impact to the community.  It is actually a big program with components on water, sanitation, child and maternal health as well.  There are still a lot more we should think or conceptualize, this could even be one of our contributions to realize the millennium development goals”, the Mayor adds as she prepares to check the gardening demo as part of the activity.