Dagupan launches Batang Belen Feeding program
BALON DAGUPAN NEWS
THE City Health Office (CHO) and the City Nutrition Office (CNO) launched the city’s Batang Belen Program last Oct. 26 for the benefit of some 700 malnourished children in the city.
The launch was graced by Mayor Belen T. Fernandez who led the feeding and the administration of Vitamin A to 64 malnourished children from Barangays Herrero-Perez and Mayombo.
Dr. Ann Paragas, Batang Belen focal person and medical consultant of the CHO, said the program aims to minimize the number if not fully eradicate or control the number of malnourished kids in the city in 120 days.
“We will make sure that our malnourished children in the barangays are busog at malusog under our 120-day feeding program which will start in November,” said Paragas.
Mayor Fernandez (2nd from right) administers Vitamin A to one of the 64 malnourished children after launching the Batang Belen Program. Joining Fernandez are Dr. Ann Paragas (right), Batang Belen focal person and Dr. Sheila Sabado (2nd from left), OIC-City Health Office. (CIO photo by Jojo Tamayo)
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.
The children, who will undergo weighing regularly every month within 120 days, will be monitored monthly by the city’s Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS) under the guidance of the CNO.
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 (under zero to 11 months) will also be given Vitamin A capsules while those who are one year old to five years old will be given six drops.
They will also be given other vitamins provided by the Department of Health and Pediatrica.
The DOH recently donated to the city 31 salter weighing scales and three detector weighing scales for the CHO’s in monitoring the weight of the malnourished children.
Mayor Fernandez asked the children’s parents support and cooperation in closely coordinating 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)
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