Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles recently led the launching of the Tutok Kainan Supplementation Program in Bacolod City and in other areas of Negros Occidental, calling the joint project with the National Nutrition Council (NNC) “a concrete and positive step aimed at addressing the nutrition needs of pregnant women to ensure healthy Filipino children.”
Nograles, who chairs the government’s Zero Hunger Task Force, expressed confidence that “the coordination and cooperation among local government units to fight hunger and malnutrition would produce immediate and positive results.”
“Tutok Kainan also showcases our efforts at actively involving LGUs in national policy implementation. Our strategic partnerships at the grassroots level ensure the widespread and comprehensive application of government programs.”
The Malacañang official added that Bacolod City and Negros Occidental are among the priority areas chosen for the project’s implementation.
The successive kick-off ceremonies last April 6 and 7, 2021 were attended virtually by Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, Bacolod City Mayor Evelio “Bing” Leonardia, NNC Deputy Executive Director Fayda Dumarpa, nutritionists and dieticians, and a number of pregnant women beneficiaries.
“Tutok Kainan,” one of the key initiatives of Task Force Zero Hunger, was introduced during the launch of the National Food Policy in October 2020.
Nograles is the principal proponent of the “Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-Nanay Act” in Congress during his stint as Davao representative. The measure was signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte in November 2018.
The former legislator mentioned that the current dietary supplementation program will serve as the initial operationalization of the First 1000 Days of Life Law.
“We further encourage more LGUs to coordinate with the Task Force so we could synchronize our anti-hunger, pro-children efforts.”
“Tutok Kainan also showcases our efforts at actively involving LGUs in national policy implementation. Our strategic partnerships at the grassroots level ensure the widespread and comprehensive application of government programs,” the Cabinet Secretary explained.
The program initially targets 34,000 nutritionally-at-risk pregnant women in 12 provinces covering 254 cities and municipalities. Beneficiaries would receive food commodities which include an improved Nutri-Bun, ready-to-eat lipid-based nutritional supplements and hot meals for a period of three months.
“We further encourage more LGUs to coordinate with the Task Force so we could synchronize our anti-hunger, pro-children efforts. We would be able to solve problens of growth stunting and lack of nutrition in children if we coordinate properly and act together,” Nograles said.