DAGUPAN LAUNCHES BATANG BELEN FEEDING PROGRAM

DAGUPAN CITY – The City Health Office (CHO) and the City Nutrition Office (CNO) launched the city’s Batang Belen Program for 712 malnourished kids in the barangays in a kick off program held Oct. 26 at CHO.

BATANG BELEN PROGRAM – Mayor Belen T. Fernandez (2^nd from right) administers Vitamin A to one of the 64 malnourished children from Barangays Herrero-Perez and Mayombo during the launching of the Batang Belen Program for 712 malnourished kids in the city in a kick off program at the City Health Office on October 26. Joining Fernandez were Dr. Ann Paragas (right), Batang Belen focal person and medical consultant at the CHO and Dr. Sheila Sabado (2^nd from left), OIC-City Health Office. (CIO photo by Jojo Tamayo)

The launching was graced by Mayor Belen T. Fernandez who led the feeding and the administration of Vitamin A to at least 64 malnourished children from Barangays Herrero-Perez and Mayombo.

Dr. Ann Paragas, Batang Belen focal person and medical consultant at the CHO,  disclosed that the program aims to  minimize the number if not fully eradicate or control the number of malnourished kids in the city in a span of four months or 120 days.

“We will make sure that our malnourished children in the barangays are busog at malusog sa tamang nutrisyon under our 120-day feeding program which will start in November,” said Paragas.

CNO records showed the 712 malnourished kids who will be the main recipients of the Batang Belen Program are from 6 years old and below.

These children will be monitored monthly by the city’s Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS) under the guidance of the CNO as the children will undergo weighing regularly every month within 120 days.

The children’s progress will be recorded in the growth chart of the Batang Belen Program.

“Each barangay will have a growth chart which will serve as our indicator in evaluating the progress of the children,” said Gina Tamayo, Midwife II at the CHO and works for the Batang Belen Program under Paragas.

Aside from the 120-day feeding, the children will also be given Vitamin A capsules where children under zero to 11 months will receive three drops while the one year old to five years old children will be given six drops.

They will also be given other vitamins coming from the Department of Health (DOH) and Pediatrica.  

Recently, the DOH also donated to the city 31 salter weighing scales and three detector weighing scales which will be used by the CHO in monitoring the weight of the malnourished children.

Mayor Fernandez, in her message,  asked  the support and cooperation of the children’s parents and for them to closely coordinate with the CHO and CNO.

“Para hindi na kayo mahirapan we will bring the feeding to the nearest point in your barangay where everybody will have an easy access,” assured Fernandez. (Joseph C. Bacani/CIO/Oct. 26, 2016)