NUTRITIONAL SCIENCE. A total of 200 identified malnourished children in four barangays in Rodriguez, Rizal undergo a 120-day feeding program launched on Monday (May 13, 2024). The Rodriguez municipal government has pledged counterpart funding to expand the program to cover other villages. (Photo courtesy of DOST Rizal PSTO)
RODRIGUEZ, Rizal – The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) 4A (Calabarzon) has gone beyond its usual mandate to promote science and technology innovations and has gotten involved in addressing this town’s malnutrition problem.
Through its Provincial Science and Technology Office (PSTO) in Rizal, the agency began this week a 120-day feeding effort under its Community Empowerment through Science and Technology (CEST) program.
Rodriguez (formerly Montalban), has been designated by the government as a Geographically Isolated Disadvantaged Area (GIDA) due to the prevalence of child malnutrition within its borders, according to Rizal PSTO Director Fernando Ablaza.
In an interview on Wednesday, Ablaza said the four-month feeding program would be a collaboration between his office and the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), another DOST-attached agency.
He explained that beneficiaries of the initiative would be fed highly nutritious food that has been scientifically formulated and fortified with supplements to support good physical development.
"With malnutrition prevalent in Rodriguez town, we've embarked on a 120-day feeding program targeting 200 children across four barangays, aged between six months and 35 months, providing them with essential nutritional supplements. DOST's CEST program encompasses health and nutrition, aiming to elevate the quality of life for marginalized sectors through science and technology," Ablaza said.
He also said the DOST has allocated funds to supply the needs of children in four barangays, with the local government unit (LGU) of Rodriguez pledging support for expanding the initiative to encompass all barangays within the town.
Ablaza cited the pivotal role of Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS) in facilitating the program.
He said the BNS has been designated in each participating barangay to oversee the preparation of nutritional supplementary foods, as well as the crucial task of feeding the identified children. (PNA)
