CAPITOL FINDINGS SHOW: Samboan has most number of malnourished children

Children fed mostly with canned food, instant noodles

Samboan town in southern Cebu had the most number of malnourished children under five years old based on a survey by the Provincial Health Office (PHO).

Samboan town, located 150 kilometers south of Cebu City, topped the list of towns with the highest malnutrition rate for children under five years old two years ago.

It topped this year’s list with 14.97 percent of their children malnourished followed by Aloguinsan town, which registered 14.68 percent, and Dumanjug at 13.35 percent.

The ranking was based on categories like weight for height, height for age and weight for age of the children.

Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator Parolita Mission said data based on these categories formed the basis for their Operation Timbang (OpT) program.

Samboan Mayor Emerito Calderon said they are doing their best to improve their children’s health through daily feeding programs in schools.

Health workers of every local government in the province submitted their annual OpT report to the Capitol.

PHO chief Dr. Rene Catan said Aloguinsan town has the most number of stunted or short children at 37.28 percent, followed by Dumanjug at 35.42 percent and Medellin with 35.11 percent.

Catan said families in these towns often feed their children canned food or instant noodles rather than organic vegetables or fish.

“Basta lang makapalit, okay na. Mostly, they fed their children with instant noodles, not nutritious food. As long as they can buy food, they are okay with it,” he said.

Oslob town topped the list of towns with the most number of thin children at 10.50 percent, followed by Tabogon with 9.34 percent and Daanbantayan at 9.28 percent.

However, Oslob-based nurse Edna Lirazan questioned the findings, saying the health workers used tape measure instead of a height board to determine the weight to height ratio for children.

“Okay ra man ang mga bata diri. Wala man sab ma (nutritionally) depressed kining area (The children are fine. The area was not even nutritionally depressed),” she said.

Despite this, Dr. Catan said the malnutrition rate in Cebu is still alarming.

“Our province supposedly has many resources. There should be a small number of malnourished children,” he said.

Azucena Dayanghirang, deputy executive director of the National Nutrition Council, said they have plans to collaborate with Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for livelihood programs for the parents.

She also reiterated that intervention in the early childhood care and development is important.