Together for healthier kids

MANILA, Philippines - In a multi-sectoral initiative to address the serious problem of child under-nutrition in the country, Nestlé Philippines in collaboration with the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) of the Department of Science and Technology, Facebook, the ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp. and other partners held a Partners’ Night at the Rockwell Tent in Makati last month to launch and manifest their commitment to an advocacy dubbed United for Healthier Kids (U4HK).

The advocacy aims to work with parents in providing children aged 4 to 12 years with adequate nutrition. The 2013 National Nutrition Survey indicates that about 30 percent of Filipino children are undernourished. Consistent under-nutrition leads to serious health issues including stunting which contributes to conditions in adulthood such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and even obesity.

“The good news is, there is something we can do about it,” said Nestlé Philippines chairman and CEO John Miller. “Indeed it is a long journey ahead of us, but the journey always starts with the first step. With the launch of U4HK in the Philippines, Nestlé and its partners have taken the first step.”

Speaking before 300 guests from the public and private sectors, Miller underscored the importance of working together to address the issue of under-nutrition. “Each one of us has a responsibility to ensure that children have the opportunity to grow to achieve their full potential for their families and as members of society. United, we can do so much to nurture generations of Filipino families who are at the very core of a strong and prosperous nation,” he said.

ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp. president and CEO Charo Santos-Concio said ABS-CBN is happy to be part of United for Healthier Kids. “Our network has the privilege to be welcomed in every Filipino home every day. We will take this opportunity to help promote a healthier Filipino lifestyle,” she said.

Recognizing that the Philippines has a long way to go, Concio said, “For us, Nestlé, the FNRI and all other partners of U4HK, there is no such thing as a small step. An eye-opening campaign such as this will undoubtedly have an effect in ensuring a healthier Philippines. We are grateful for this chance to deliver on our promise of being ‘In the Service of Filipino People’.”

Nestlé Philippines director of communications Sandra Puno said the challenge to U4HK is to involve and engage parents, and in so doing, help them realize that the solution lies in their hands. “United for Healthier Kids or U4HK embodies the key principle that all children have a right to be properly nourished in order to reach their full potential and to stake their claim on a brighter future. U4HK recognizes that this right – its fulfillment and the responsibility for it – is in our hands.”

According to Puno, U4HK aims to help broaden Filipino parents’ awareness about the prevalence of child under-nutrition and help them understand the need to provide healthy everyday meals to their children even with a limited budget. The advocacy seeks to work with FNRI, multi-sectors and parents to develop creative ways to derive the most nutritional value out of every peso spent on food.

“U4HK is a partnership rooted in science, powered by creativity and united to help parents raise a healthier generation of children,” Puno explained, adding that scientific data, research studies and behavioral science will be the bases for information shared with parents, to influence behavior change and encourage the shift to healthy eating and lifestyle habits.

Prior to the launch, U4HK, with the help of ABS-CBN, aired TV commercials that highlighted the issue of under-nutrition, urging parents to submit photos of their children as a sign of their commitment to nourish their children. Over 50,000 photos of children aged 4 to 12 years old were received, which were then posted on the U4HK Facebook page. The U4HK TV commercials posted in YouTube now have 800,000 views and counting.

The highlight of the U4HK Partners’ Night was the revelation of the Faces of the Future, images created by digital technology from the photos earlier submitted by parents. The Faces of the Future, that of a boy and a girl, are now depicted on two sets of commemorative coins minted for U4HK by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, and will now serve as the physical representation of the Filipino child to be used by U4HK as it rolls out the next phase of the advocacy this year.

An official anthem for U4HK specially commissioned and composed for the advocacy was sung during the event by pop rock icon and songwriter Yeng Constantino. The song was written by ABS-CBN creative communication management head Robert Labayen and composed by Constantino and Mike Villegas.

To learn more and join the U4HK advocacy, visit www.facebook.com/u4hkPH. To access videos on the advocacy, visit www.youtube.com/user/u4hkph.