Malnourished children aged six months to seven years living in barangays Putho-Tuntungin, Bayog and Anos continue to receive free food through a feeding program spearheaded by the Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS) of the Municipal Nutrition Center.

Elvie Teves, the president of all BNS in Los Baños, said that program has helped improve the health of children, as reported by the nutrition scholars – the underweight children, who were selected through a pre-screening at the onset, have gained weight. “Tumataas naman ang timbang nila. May progress naman,” she said. (The children have grown heavier. There is progress in the program.)

Participating children are weighed regularly to monitor their progress and the success of the program.

Apart from the feeding component, nutrition scholars also teach parents about proper nutrition. Among the lessons taught so far is cooking nutritious food, according to Teves.

“Hindi lang mga BNS ang gagawa nun. Siyempre, ang mga parents, tuturuan din nilang magluto. Dapat ang parents, habang tumatagal, marunong na silang magluto ng masustansyang pagkain,” she said. (It’s not just the BNS who do the job. Of course, the parents are also taught how to cook. Parents should, as time progresses, learn how to cook nutritious food.)

St. Therese Foundation sponsors the program in Putho-Tuntungin, which started on May 20 and will end in December this year. The Alpha Phi Omega (APO) Sorority funds the feeding program in Bayog, which started in 2010, while the Catholic Women’s League (CWL) supports the program in Anos, scheduled until July 15. (Guien Garma)