Madridejos mayor: We were unable to control crowd

CEBU, Philippines —  Madridejos Mayor Salvador "Sally" Dela Fuente admitted they were unable to control the crowd during the second stop of the Sante Fe-Madridejos-Bantayan (SMB) escapade last November 27 at the town’s Kota Park.

Photos of people who flocked to the park to witness the event went viral on social media and received criticisms from the netizens after the people were seen not observing social distancing and some were not wearing face masks.

Organizers and authorities also said they were not able to control the influx of the people at the park.

“Sa amo nga parte, medyo wala mi ka-control tungod man gud sa kahibalo na ka nga diri sa isla intawon panagsa ra gyud maarian sa mga bisita,” Dela Fuente said.

Top officials present during the event were Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, Governor Gwendolyn Garcia and Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Secretary Michael Dino. Also present were some candidates of the recently-concluded Miss Universe Philippines pageant.

“Kagahapon (November 27, 2020) nag-advise gyud ta nga kinahanglan they will observe social distancing but because of the eagerness and enthusiasm sa mga tawo, diri man gud sa Madridejos kon diin nia ra man sa isla gustong makakita og secretary, gobernador, so wala na papugngi. In fact, gi-close ang gate sa Kota Park but niagi sila sa luyo,” Dela Fuente explained.

Roque, in his message to the Lawisanons, reminded the crowd to follow health protocols as he saw the people disregarding social distancing.

"Anong isusuot? Masks. Anong dapat gawin? Hugas. At pangatlo, ang hindi natin nasusunod ngayon, iwas. Di ba? Pero huwag n'yo lang tatanggalin ang mga masks niyo, okay na yan dahil open air naman tayo," Roque said.

After the event, the municipality of Madridejos immediately advised people who went to the event to undergo home remedies.

“Gi-awhag ang tanan Lawisanon nga nitambong sa Kota Park ganina diin gipahigayon ang Suroy-Suroy Sugbo dinhi sa atong lungsod sa pagtu-ob or steam inhalation aron mapakgang ang virus nga mapasa sa usa ka asymptomatic nga tawo nga mitambong sa maong okasyon kung aduna man gani," the municipal government wrote in a Facebook advisory.

Dela Fuente said that even from the start of the pandemic, home remedies were what Lawisanons have been practicing.

“Advisory lang sila nga home remedies lang ilang gamiton, kun mahimo mag-steam inhalation sila or moinom sila og luy-a; actually mao gyud na among gigamit since pagsugod sa pandemic mao nay mga advisory namo,” Dela Fuente said.

The Kota park is one of the destinations participants of the SMB escapade visited. The SMB is the three-day tour in Bantayan island, a "pocket event" of the maiden flights (not commercial flights contrary to what was reported earlier) to the newly renovated Bantayan Island Airport.

The flights were chartered flights as part of the promotion of tourism under new normal.

The event was initiated by the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) in partnership with the Cebu Provincial Government and Department of Tourism Central Visayas.

The tour will conclude today.

Nutrition ‘key’ vs COVID-19

Meanwhile, the National Nutrition Council-7 reminded the public that nutrition is critical to prevent COVID-19 and other viruses as the mission of informing and educating the public on the importance of nutrition to maintain good health and prevent illness, especially in this time of pandemic, continues.

NNC-7 regional nutrition program coordinator Dr. Parolita Mission said everyone is vulnerable to COVID-19 and this vulnerability is affected by nutritional status such as malnutrition that weakens the immune system.

Mission said that the more alarming nutrition problem is stunting as it is increasing at a rate of 37.7% or 4 out 10 children in Central Visayas are stunted in 2015, with 3% increase from 34.7% in 2013. The percentage in 2015 translates to 369,003 preschool children.

To help address the above problem and as a response to COVID-19 pandemic and a way to operationalize the RA 11148 or the Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Magnanay Act, the NNC recently embarked on this special and ambitious Tutok Kainan Supplementation Program.

This program, Mission said, focuses on a much-needed nutrition intervention, dietary supplementation of pregnant women and young children 6-23 months old, especially during the pandemic where livelihoods of the marginalized sector face many challenges.

This program aims to prevent stunting (or too short for age or “pagkapotot” in Cebuano) among children 0-23 months old by improving the quality and quantity of food and nutrient intakes and utilization of related ECCD F1KD services among nutritionally at-risk pregnant women and children 6-23 months old in the target program.

It also intends to provide the platform for educating mothers on desirable complementary feeding practices and promoting local food supply value chain between the national government program “Tutok Kainan” and local agrarian reform beneficiary organizations, sustainable livelihood program associations and farmer-fisherfolk cooperatives.

Mission said that Tutok Kainan hopes to serve 32,000 nutritionally at-risk pregnant women nationwide. -- Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon, JMD