by Earl Gio N. Manuel

“Proper food is the key to a healthy family which is one of the most important foundation of the country,” this is according to University Research Associate Belinda A. Lalap Barangay Integrated Development Approach for Nutrition Improvement (BIDANI), which is based in UP Los Baños during her lecture about proper nutrition at the Los Baños Central Elementary School Canteen last July 27.

“Susi sa kaunlaran ang kalusugan at nutrisyon.” Buong pusong tinuturuan ni Belinda Lalap ang mga dumalo sa Lecture on Proper Nutrition For School Children.

The said event was entitled “Lecture on Proper Nutrition for School Children”   which is part of the celebration of the Nutrition Month and a program of the Municipal Nutrition Council (MNC) partnered by the Department of Education,  Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS), and  BIDANI to teach parents on proper nutrition for their children.

The participants were composed of about thirteen (13) Los Baños residents, 12 mothers and one father from  Barangays Malinta, Baybayin, Timugan, Anos, and Bambang.

The lecture aims to teach the parents on proper way of feeding their children and the right foods to set on the table.

It was started through an opening message lead by Edith Lozano, BNS form Brgy. Anos followed by the discussion that was made by the University Research Assosciate of  BIDANI-UPLB and they were  Lalap who talked about Guidelines on proper Health and Nutrition and Pamela A. Gonzales who discussed about  Effects of Malnutrition.

BIDANI is a program which aids the nutritional needs of the people in the community and this was funded by Netherlands to be established on different States Universities and Colleges in the country on 1978. The Netherlands supported BIDANI financially for almost ten years that is why 46 SUC’s had BIDANI including UPLB.

After ten years of funding,  only few from the 46 SUC’s continued the BIDANI program. One of the universities who still has BIDANI is the UPLB which is still serving the people of the community in terms of health and nutrition.

At present, BIDANI-UPLB is now an extension project of Institute of Human Nutrition and Food in the College of Human Ecology which gives service to people from different areas about proper nutrition.

BIDANI-UPLB has spearheaded many programs like counseling program for mothers, training/ workshop for BNS and lectures about health and nutrition.

 “We are bringing the innovations of UPLB about health and nutrition in the communities at we believe that the true indicator of development is a healthy nutrition”, said by Gonzales.

The event became effective through the participatory discussion lead by the lecturers and through the active participation of the citizens who participated to the program.

“I knew that it is really important that we are feeding the right foods to our children in breakfast, lunch and dinner and it is good also to maintain the cleanliness in serving the foods”,said Mylene Paco, 30 year old mother from Brgy. Malinta.

In relation with this news, there will be a Culminating Activity that will be spearheaded  by  the Municipal Health Council of Los Baños as an ending of the Nutrition Month which will be held on the Municipal Covered Court on July 31.