The provincial government of Ilocos Norte has initiated a 120-day milk feeding program aimed at improving the health and nutrition of at least 350 children in the province. Launched on Monday in partnership with the Philippine Carabao Center, the program targets children aged 3 to 5 years, focusing on enhancing their health while also supporting the economic situation of local dairy farmers.
“We are prioritizing wasted and severely wasted 3 to 5-year-old kids,” stated provincial nutrition action officer Elma Irapta in an interview with the Philippine News Agency on Wednesday. “Wasted children” refers to those who are severely underweight for their height, indicating acute malnutrition.
Irapta mentioned that the program team is actively reaching out to various local government units in the province to conduct orientations with the target beneficiaries, their parents, and village health and nutrition workers.
She noted that the supplementary feeding program is being continued this year following a significant improvement in the nutritional status of children in Ilocos Norte. In alignment with the national government’s efforts to combat child malnutrition and promote local dairy production, the Provincial Nutrition Action Center is focusing on addressing malnutrition throughout the province.
This ongoing feeding initiative is part of the implementation of Republic Act 11037, known as the “Masustansyang Pagkain para sa Batang Pilipino Act,” which mandates the provision of fresh milk and nutritious food products to children in public schools and impoverished communities.