Anti-hunger mitigation program launched in Ifugao

by Redjie MElvic Cawis

Lagawe, Ifugao (28 November) — With the rising hunger incidence in the Cordillera, Department of Health and the National Nutrition Council last week gathered line agencies, local government units and the Barangay Nutrition Scholars of the different municipalities in the province to strengthen the advocacy campaign of the government on Anti-Hunger Mitigation Program(AHMP).

With the theme “Mission : Good Nutrition- Drive out Hunger”, the program served as a venue to share and discuss the plans and accomplishment of the government’s drive to address hunger and malnutrition. It is consistent with the Pagkain sa Bawat Mesa and Alagaan ang kalusugan campaigns of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

DOH regional director Dr. Myrna Cabotaje, head of the AHMP in the region, said that the launching of the program in the province is timely with the reports of the NNC and DOH surveys that the province is the most nutritionally improving province in the region.

During the program, NNC Officer in Charge June Falancy presented the regional nutrition situation showing that the region has increasing number of poor families leading to hunger and malnutrition especially to children.

Cabotaje said that hunger and malnutrition in the region is caused by unavailable or insufficient supply of food to eat and poverty or lacking money to buy food.

On the report that Ifugao is the most outstanding province, and Lagawe for the municipal level, in implementing the nutrition program in the region, Governor Teodoro Baguilat Jr. said that he has focused on program on health and nutrition and not just the usual infrastructure programs to provide better and healthier life to its constituents.

He added that the province is rich in agricultural products particularly cattles and livestock, fisheries and vegetables that provide food to people in Ifugaos, be it in the highlands or the lowland municipalities. The production of these goods in the province is also sufficient.

Baguilat stressed that the local government units of the province have institutionalized nutrition and health programs to provide sustainability of the AHMP implementation for their constituents.

Ifugao is just the first wave of the program in the region. The DOH will also be launching this program in the AHMP priority provinces of Apayao, Abra, Kalinga and Mountain Province.

The AHMP is implemented by the 30 agency members Anti-Hunger task force led by the DOH and the NNC. (PIA-CAR)