Fighting malnutrition

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor GUILLERMO TEJIDA III Desk Editor NANETTE L. GUADALQUIVER Busines Editor CEDELF P. TUPAS Sports Editor (On Leave) RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

The veterinary officials and the Provincial Nutrition Council in Negros Oriental have come up with a project called “Kambingan and Manukan Project” aimed to help the hunger mitigation program of the government by identifying the top 10 towns that register the highest incidence of malnutrition.

The project is a goat and native chicken production effort intended for poor but deserving farm households. Some 8,000 livestock will be distributed to the most depressed barangays and households of Mabinay, Vallehermoso, Manjuyod, La Libertad, Basay, Tayasan, Sta. Catalina, Bindoy, Bacong and Siaton.

The Kambingan provides milk for children and Manukan produces additional source of protein as alternative measures to counter malnutrition.

The latest Social Weather Stations survey showed that the incidence of hunger declined from an all-time high of 21 percent last September 2007 to 16.2 percent in December 2007. The Hunger Mitigation Program is part of the government thrust to provide livelihood projects and to generate jobs for the populace.

We urge the local executives, particularly those in areas with high malnutrition cases, to provide strong support to this project, not only to address the malnutrition problem but also to increase income opportunities for local farmers in the barangays this year.

We believe that this plan will help reduce the incidence of hunger, especially the nutrition aspect or quality of food in the barangays.*