FOR TALLER KIDS. Children in one of the villages in San Jorge, Samar in this undated photo. At least 70 towns in Leyte and Samar provinces have been included in the World Bank-funded Philippine Multisectoral Nutrition Project that seeks to reduce the incidence of stunting. (Photo courtesy of Gerru Pacuan Ocenar)
TACLOBAN CITY – The World Bank (WB)-funded Philippine Multisectoral Nutrition Project (PMNP) has been launched this week in Samar and Northern Samar provinces as the government ramps up the fight against malnutrition.
The launching was held in Northern Samar on July 26 and Samar on July 28.
These are two of the four provinces in the region considered as priorities following the high cases of stunting, DOH Eastern Visayas Regional Director Exuperia Sabalberino said in a statement on Friday.
The DOH official said that while Eastern Visayas will be the implementation site for 70 out of the 275 participating towns nationwide, Samar will also be home to 20 and Northern Samar will be home to 14 out of the 70 participating municipalities in the region.
“Over the course of the program, the PMNP aims to deliver a coordinated package of nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions involving the different local government units, partner government agencies, and development partners,” Sabalberino said.
In Samar province, included are the towns of Almagro, Basey, Calbiga, Daram, Gandara, Hinabangan, Marabut, Matuguinao. Motiong, Pagsanghan, Pinabacdao, San Jorge, San Jose de Buan, San Sebastian, Sta. Margarita, Sta. Rita, Sto. Nino, Tagapalu-an, Tarangnan, Villareal and Zumarraga.
In Northern Samar, covered towns are Biri, Capul, Gamay, Laoang, Las Navas, Lope de Vega, Mapanas, Palapag, Pambujan, Rosario, San Roque, Silvino Lobos, Victoria, and Lavezares.
The health department and local governments have yet to schedule the launching in Eastern Samar and Leyte provinces.
The target beneficiaries of the PMNP are primarily pregnant mothers, lactating mothers, women of reproductive age, and children below 5 years of age.
Records showed that among provinces in the region, Samar has the highest prevalence of stunting at 16.67 percent, followed by Eastern Samar (15.46 percent), Northern Samar (15.10 percent) and Leyte (14.99 percent).
At least 63,655 children under five years old in Eastern Visayas are stunted, the National Nutrition Council earlier said, citing the 2022 monitoring reports from local government units.
The four-year initiative also aims to address wasting and obesity among the target population.
On June 22, 2022, the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors approved a USD178.1 million loan to support countries’ efforts to combat malnutrition in the country. (PNA)
