Press Release
July 23, 2009

Responding to one of the country's severe health deficiencies - malnutrition
ANGARA BATS FOR IMPROVED AND ADEQUATE NUTRITION PROGRAMS FOR UNDERNOURISHED CHILDREN

Addressing the pervasive undernourishment problem among young children in the Philippines, Senator Edgardo J. Angara today urged the enactment of SB 237 or the Child Nutrition Act which seeks to target childhood malnutrition through the institutionalization of a School Feeding Program throughout the public elementary school network.

"Malnutrition stems from various societal factors including health risks, socio-economic status, poverty and other aspects. Nutrition profile of the country reported that about 31.8% of pre-school children, almost one-fifth of the adolescent population and 13.2 % of adults were found to be undernourished. These statistics imply enough data to put the government into action by improving this nutrition trend of our people," lamented Angara, former Department of Agriculture Secretary and chair of the Congressional Commission on Science, Technology and Engineering.

He added, "The most effective means to target childhood malnutrition is through the public school network. Unfortunately, although currently, there are school feeding programs administered by the Department of Education, these programs rely heavily on allocations from budgets of senators or congressmen, or donations from private individuals and corporations. There is therefore an urgent need to immediately provide for an institutionalized and legislated child nutrition program targeting public elementary schools throughout the country."

In the bill, a school nutrition program will be established wherein the National Nutrition Council, Department of Education and the Department of Health shall initiate, maintain, and expand a system of distribution of milk and fortified snack foods to public elementary school entrants for a minimum of one hundred twenty (120) feeding days, five times a week and vitamin supplements for a period and in such dosages as determined by DOH.

Likewise, the program aims to make school entrants aware of the importance of good nutrition by providing relevant and user-friendly nutrition information and education materials.

Furthermore, incentives will be given to private companies who will donate their products for the feeding program.

"Let us not allow the current economic instability exacerbate the dwindling trend in health condition of Filipinos, especially the children," said Angara.

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