TACLOBAN CITY – Up to 60 mothers from Tacloban City's Northern Barangays benefited from the City Nutrition Office and City Veterinary Office's Chicken and Pig dispersal, according to City Nutrition Officer Ma. Lumen P. Tabao.
On August 23, 2022, the respective office and beneficiaries for the pig distribution in Barangay Old Kawayan, who were mothers with malnourished or underweight children, signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA).
Raising or farrowing pigs as part of the program's mechanism provides mothers in northern barangays with a source of income.
When the pigs reach the appropriate weight, they can be sold to generate income for the mothers, and the proceeds can be used to buy nutritious food and meet the family's needs.
To ensure the program's continuation, current participants must donate a piglet to the new recipients.
Meanwhile, ten additional people participated in the distribution of native chickens in Barangay Santa Elena, where they were given said livestock. When the chickens breed, they will be separated; some will be kept for the family's consumption, while others will be hatched for the program's additional recipients.
According to Tabao, initiatives have been implemented to reduce the prevalence of malnutrition in the city, which has increased significantly due to the pandemic's effects, such as unemployment and a lack of nutrient-dense food, and has persisted for more than two years.
In 2020, 8.11 percent of children aged 0 to 59 months in the city will be underweight, followed by 8.01 percent in 2021. Based on these statistics, Tacloban City in Eastern Visayas has the third-highest incidence of malnutrition in the region. —iTacloban (Source: TCIO)