BY: FAYETTE C. RIÑEN
CEBU CITY, July 23 (PIA) -- Urban households are urged to plant their own vegetables in the backyard to complement food security for the family especially during emergency situations at the same time contribute to mitigating the impact of climate change.
Susan Orpilla, nutrition officer III of the National Nutrition Council (NNC-7), bared that household food security is the ultimate objective under the Philippine Plan of Action on Nutrition in order to improve nutritional status among Filipinos.
Orpilla said families with own access to vegetables can deal better in times of disasters as the National Nutrition Month celebration this July carries the theme “Kalamidad Paghandaan: Gutom at Malnutrisyon Agapan!”
Orpilla however, said the two major disasters that struck Central Visayas late last year namely the 7.2 magnitude earthquake and the super typhoon Yolanda might impact on the slight nutrition improvement among pre-school children in Region 7.
“Malnutrition prevalence rate among pre-school children in Central Visayas registered a decline from 5.92 percent in 2011 to 5.54 percent in 2013” said Orpilla during therecent forum of the Association of Government Information Officers (AGIO-7) that tackled the topic “Urban Greening for Better Nutrition, Nutrition in Emergency and Better Environment.”
Orpilla said it needs to further check to determine whether the two major disasters last year had any effect on the nutritional status especially among pre-school children in the region. “We yet have to conduct another Operation Timbang for this year,” to find out, Orpilla said.
Strong awareness and support to nutrition programs by local government units contributed to the slight improvement on the nutritional status among pre-school children in Central Visayas, said Orpilla.
But the nutrition officer said there is a need to aggressively campaign to eat more vegetables and fruits as a recent survey conducted by the Food Nutrition Research Institute showed there is a consumption decline of vegetables and fruits in the Filipino diet.
“That is why we are promoting urban vegetable gardening in our own backyard so we can have full access to nutritional foods that are organic or free from chemicals,” said Orpilla.
Anie Saavedra, urban agriculture coordinator of the Cebu City Agriculture Department (CCAD) said families without any adequate land to cultivate their own vegetable garden can make use of any container, sacks or even water bottles where they could plant certain veggies like green onions and tomatoes.
Urban households in the city who wants to have their own veggie garden can seek help from the CCAD on how to start, said Saavedra.
Ronnie Jamola, focal person on reconstruction assistance for Yolanda of the Department of Agriculture-7 meanwhile, said planting veggies can also help mitigate impact of climate change as plants through their leaves absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that enhances global warming ultimately leading to climate change.
“Let’s do our share in reducing carbon dioxide emissions” so we can have a safer and healthier environment, said Jamola. (fcr/PIA-7)