Governor Lilia G. Pineda underscored the important role of parents in ensuring proper nutrition and healthy well-being of their children as she encouraged them to closely work with the government’s health workers and service providers to fight malnutrition in Pampanga.
Pineda called on the parents, mothers especially, of five to six years old malnourished children in various municipalities of the province who were recently gathered for the medical and other nutrition-related services held at the Benigno Aquino Memorial Hall.
The day’s activities were spearheaded by the provincial government through the Provincial Malward Center, members of the Provincial Nutrition Committee and Board Member Monina Laus, nutrition committee chair of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.
More than 200 malnourished children benefitted from the free medical check-up, medicines and feeding provided them by the provincial government as one of the highlights of the nutrition month celebration which has for its theme “Isulong ang Breastfeeding: Tama, Sapat at Eksklusibo”.
The governor said that parents should be primarily responsible in ensuring and maintaining the health and well-being of their children from the time of conception to their growing up years.
She encouraged them to breastfeed their offspring as mother’s milk is widely acknowledged as the most complete form of nutrition for infants and with a range of health, growth, immunity and development benefits to boot.
“While we at the provincial, municipal and barangay levels implement various health and nutrition-related programs and services, we still need your cooperation and active participation to realize our goal of preventing and minimizing the incidence of malnutrition,” the chief provincial executive told the parents of the malnourished children.
She added that rural health units have physicians, midwives and other health workers and service provides who they could always go to for medical advice and services.
Board Member Laus advised the parents to breastfeed their babies, serve them plenty of vegetables which they could grow in their own backyard, and protein-rich food to make sure that they grow healthy and free from common ailments like colds and coughs.
Laus explained that it is also very important that they maintain clean and healthy homes and surroundings and practice waste segregation and proper garbage disposal to drive away disease-causing insects like mosquitoes, rodents and cockroaches.
Provincial Nutrition Action Officer Rose Butiu said that aside from the free medical check-up and medicines, the governor also distributed food packs to each of the malnourished children. Film showing and lectures on the prevention of malnutrition like eating balanced diet, exercising regularly, taking enough rest and sleep, healthy lifestyle, proper hygiene and breastfeeding were also conducted.
The governor also invited Dr. Jay de Vera, a neurosurgeon specialist, in the said event to check-up children with neuro ailments, she added.
Butiu likewise acknowledged the all-out support and commitment of the Pineda administration, including the members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, to the nutrition program in the province.
Aside from Laus, Board Members Fritzie David-Dizon, Trina Dizon, Tars Halili, Ric Yabut, Cris Garbo and Nestor Tolentino also attended the said event. (Pampanga PIO)
