Cordillera Administrative Region- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has recorded 61.46% rehabilitation among underweight children enrolled in Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) or Day Care Centers in the region after six month of feeding.
These children benefitted from the Supplementary Feeding Program (SFP) of the DSWD. Around 42,696 day care children were weighed upon the beginning of the feeding cycle in 2015. Of these children, 3,780 were measured to be underweight. After six months of feeding, out of the 41,871 day care children weighed, number of underweight children decreased to 1,457.
Children with normal weight have also increased from 38,705 to 40,250.
“We, in the Department, are pleased to see an improvement in the nutritional status of our day care children. These developments can be accounted to the concerted effort of our partners and stakeholders” DSWD OIC-Regional Director Janet P. Armas shared.
“For the past year, we have accounted some practices of our partners that helped in the implementation of the Program”, SFP Focal Person Eleonor Bugalin said.
Among the practices include the conduct of Parent Effectiveness Session initiated by the local government of La Trinidad in Benguet.
Day Care parents and guardians are required to attend the Parents Effectiveness Sessions. The sessions focus on topics including children rights, proper childcare, nutrition, and family and child development. Parents and guardians unable to attend the sessions are penalized Php 200. The amount collected is being used to augment in providing the needs of the day care centers.
Among these centers is the Camp Dangwa Day Care Center located inside the Philippine National Police Office, in La Trinidad, Benguet. Aside from this strategy, Day Care Worker Miriam S. Botongen coordinates with the Philippine National Police Cordillera (PROCOR) and other agencies. As a result, physical fitness activities, and annual medical and dental check-up have been conducted to the Camp Dangwa Day Care children. Other activities involving the children conducted include “Batang Munti, Kalingain, Kalusugan Pagyamanin” Project, tree planting activity which teaches children how to protect and preserved the environment, recycling of waste materials, and Gulayan sa Day Care Center Project.
“We would like to commend our partners who give beyond what is expected of them. Their strategies are valuable inputs for our Department to further improve our service delivery. We hope that our partnership with them continue to flourish this year and we are optimistic that these will help our clients for an improved accessibility of our programs and services”, Director Armas shared. # DSWD-CAR, Social Marketing Unit, Nerizza Faye G. Villanueva
