Patnongon officials ink MOA to address malnutrition
SAN JOSE, Antique – The Municipal Officials of Patnongon led by its Mayor Henry Mondejar inked a Memorandum of Agreement with Mr. Donald Rey Newson, Director of Here's Hope Ministries, Inc. & the Department of Social Welfare and Development relative to the implementation of Supplemental Feeding known as "Manna From Heaven Program".
The program is funded by the United States Agency International Development (USAID) so the Harvest Pro Vegetable Blend which will be cooked for supplemental feeding will be given to municipalities with high prevalence rate of malnourished pre-school children for free.
The mixture is a rice textured vegetable containing vitamins and minerals to feed underweight children 6-72 months old or 6 years for the period 120 days or four months to achieve nutritional improvement, attendance rates, and learning achievement.
Recently, Mayor Mondejar took the 250 boxes of Harvest Pro Vegetable Blend from Funding Agency Warehouse at Parara, Tigbauan, Iloilo.
The supplemental feeding which will start on June 2008 will be strictly monitored by the Municipal Social Welfare Development Officer, Mrs. Lilia Plameras. She will supervise the parents who will prepare the food and the Day Care Workers in their actual feeding of children. As the feeding program goes on, the progress in nutritional status of the malnourished children will be reported to the Here's Hope Ministries Inc.. Their target is to lower the percentage of malnourished children to 17.25 in the country by year 2015.
Last May 21, 2008 representatives from Manna From Heaven program conducted orientation to all
Day Care Workers on how to prepare or cook the food without losing its nutritional value. (ECrespo/Patnongon/PIA)