Zero Hunger Task Force chief and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles on National Women’s Day led the launch of a diet supplementation program for nutritionally at-risk pregnant women, a project by the National Nutrition Council (NNC) that will use short message service (SMS) or text messaging to remind the program beneficiaries to avail of the program’s services.
The NNC program, dubbed “Tutok Kainan” aims to serve as a platform for improving women’s nutrition through the provision of additional quality and nutritious food commodities to pregnant women in priority areas across the country.
“Tutok Kainan is our operationalization of the First 1000 Days of Life Law, which is now being implemented to target nutritionally at-risk pregnant women.”
It was kicked off in Pateros with the distribution of the Enhanced Nutri-bun to selected nutritionally at-risk pregnant women, and its launch coincides with the NNC’s celebration of International and National Women’s Day.
Nograles––who while in Congress co-authored the “Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-Nanay Act” signed by President Rodrigo Duterte in November 2018––pointed out that Tutok Kainan “is our operationalization of the First 1000 Days of Life Law, which is now being implemented to target nutritionally at-risk pregnant women.”
The Palace official stressed that “it is always important to eat a balanced diet across all ages—and it’s even more important when it’s for pregnant women because what these mothers eat are the main source of their babies.”
“Maliban pa rito, ang angkop na nutrisyon at malusog na pangangatawan ay mas lalo pa nating kailangan sa mga panahong ito na tayo ay nasa pandemya pa rin.”
Nograles led the actual distribution of food commodities at an event live streamed via the NNC’s Facebook Page. With him were NNC Executive Director, Azucena Dayanghirang, Pateros Mayor Miguel Ponce III, Municipal Nutrition Action Officer Jenine Ponce, and NNC NCR Nutrition Program Coordinator Milagros Elisa Federizo.
In her message, Dayanghirang stated that stunting can be prevented if efforts are focused on the First 1,000 Days of life, or the period starting from conception up to the child’s second birthday.
According to Dayanghirang, “the progress of our nation depends on how mothers bring up their children. To break the vicious cycle of malnutrition, nutrition of women of reproductive age should be improved.”
The program initially targets 34,000 nutritionally-at-risk pregnant women in 12 provinces covering 254 cities and municipalities. Beneficiaries will receive food commodities composed of enhanced Nutri-Bun, ready-to-eat lipid-based nutritional supplement, and hot meals for three months or 90 days.
Tutok Kainan participants will receive daily text messages called Nutri-text to inform them of the benefits of the program and remind them to avail of government services.
By 2021, the program will expand its reach to stunted and wasted 6-23 months old children. Tutok Kainan participants will receive daily text messages called Nutri-text to inform them of the benefits of the program and remind them to avail of government services.
The National Dietary Supplementation Program by the NNC is one of the major programs identified in the recently launched National Food Policy by Task Force Zero Hunger.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, all LGUs implementing the Tutok Kainan program are encouraged to adhere to the infection prevention control measures issued by local health authorities and Inter-Agency Task Force on COVID-19 such as proper and frequent hand hygiene, physical distancing measures, and the use of face masks and face shields.