Good nutrition leads to good education
MANILA, Philippines - The alarming persistence of school dropouts, particularly in primary education has prompted Nestlé Philippines to step up its drive to inculcate good nutrition into good education via its Laki Sa Gatas Nutrition Education Advocacy.
The UNDP report observed that the participation rates in primary education by region are inversely correlated with the incidence rates for food availability. The regions with highest participation rates, for instance, showed the lowest poverty incidence rates such as the National Capital Region, Ilocos, Central Luzon and CALABARZON. This was revealed in the 2010 Philippines Progress Report on the Millennium Development Goals.
“This finding states that food and health are important factors in influencing students’ ability to finish education,” said Jasmin Estacio, consumer marketing manager for Bear Brand powdered milk drink. “Our advocacy has always been about helping fight malnutrition, educating parents and kids about the right food choices, and encouraging various ways to serve food on a modest budget. ”
According to the 7th National Nutrition Survey by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute, over 2.6 million children aged six to10 years are underweight, roughly 26 percent of the population. Longstanding or chronic malnutrition, which manifests in iron deficiency anemia, iodine deficiency, and vitamin A deficiency, affects a very high percentage of schoolchildren in at least 25 provinces.
These findings continue to push Nestlé Philippines to intensify its nutrition education advocacy. Since it was launched in 2006, the Laki Sa Gatas nutrition education advocacy has visited close to 6,000 schools across the country and reached out to more than 2.8 million schoolchildren, more than 1.4 million mothers, and more than 89,000 teachers.
The LSG team plans to visit schools in Bataan, Aurora, Nueva Vizcaya, Zamboanga, and other places, targeting over 700,000 more students and more than 400,000 parents.
