Looks can be deceiving--which is why you cannot judge if children are well-fed simply by the way they look. Some children who are malnourished also have large stomachs, a trait usually associated with overfeeding, but is actually a sign of nutrient deficiency.
In the Philippines poverty and pervasive malnutrition are not limited to families of deprived seasonal workers. Undernourishment is endemic and increasing throughout most of this archipelago of some 7100 islands, and is compounded by the prevalence of intestinal parasites and gastrointestinal diseases which health workers estimate deprive youngsters of at least 5-10% of the nutritional value in food they do consume.
This problem is particularly prevalent in rural villages and city slums where many people eat with their fingers. According to the Philippine Ministry of Health, nearly 1/2 of all reported deaths are among infants and children through age 4, and about 1/2 of the accelerated death rate among those age 5 and younger is related to malnutrition, compounded by diarrhea, measles, and malaria which is returning to areas where it once was almost eradicated. 3 factors critically affect a newborn's survival prospects: the family size he or she is born into; the time or spacing between the mother's pregnancies; and the child's birth order.
Based on the latest survey conducted by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology, more than 3.8 million or 33.4% of Filipino children are stunted. This number is up from 30.1% in 2015. Stunting, also called Chronic Malnutrition refers to a child who is too short for his or her age. It is the result of poor nutrition during early childhood. Children suffering from stunting may never attain their full possible height and their brains may never develop to their full cognitive potential. The effects are irreversible and can last a lifetime.
These children face learning difficulties in school, get sick more often, and earn less as adults. The same survey also identified 800,000 or 7.1 percent of Filipino children to be suffering from wasting. Wasting, also called Acute Malnutrition refers to a child who is too thin for his or her height. It is the result of rapid weight loss or the failure to gain weight due to poor nutrient intake or disease. Children suffering from wasting have weakened immunity, are vulnerable to long term developmental delays, and face an increased risk of death.
Only a productive revolution of rural life that also educates mothers to know what makes for sound family nutrition will be adequate. Plus, the help of those who really want to aid the malnutrition, through the initiative of global humanitarian organization, Action Against Hunger, restaurants have come together to fight child malnutrition.
Called “Restaurants Against Hunger”, the campaign runs from October 1 to December 1, 2018. During this period, participating restaurants will be donating a portion of the sale of specially marked dishes on their menu to projects combating child malnutrition in the Philippines.
Guy Halsey, Country Director Action Against Hunger Philippines Mission
Diners can be a part of the movement to help provide food to the most disadvantaged children and their families in the country by patronizing the participating restaurants and ordering the featured dish/es labelled as “dishes that feed more”.
So far, participants this year are Alba Restaurante Español, Aracama, Azuthai, Café Mediterranean, Calderon, Chef Laudico OK Café, Chelsea Kitchen, Chotto Matte / Izakaya Sensu, Corner Tree Café, Cyma, Friends & Family / Coconut Club, Green Pastures, Grilla, Ikomai, Ilustrado, Kabila, Museum Café, Providore, Saboten, Sangkap, Simple Lang, Sobremesa, Terraz Bistro & Meetings, Terry’s Bistro, The Old Spaghetti House, The Shrimp Shack, Wild Ginger, and The Bistro Group.
“We hope to sign up more before the program kicks off on October 1,” said Action Against Hunger Fundraising and Resource Development Manager Dale Nelson Divinagracia.
Restaurants that wish to join can simply register at www.restaurantsagainsthungerphilippines.org.
This program is very easy to implement, inexpensive, and unites the restaurant staff and customers for a life-saving cause. This was attested during the launch by Chiqui Mabanta, owner and general manager of Corner Tree Café which has been supporting “Restaurants Against Hunger” since year one.
The campaign started on World Food Day in France in 1998 and has been implemented in Bolivia, Canada, Colombia, Germany, Guatemala, India, Italy, Peru, Spain, United Kingdom, and the USA. In the Philippines, “Restaurants Against Hunger”is on its third year has helped make it possible for Action Against Hunger to implement several programs.
The most recent was their response to the Marawi conflict where a total of 206,613 individuals benefitted from the nutrition screening and distribution of emergency food aid and hygiene kits. The organization also provided access to safe water and sanitation facilities in the provinces of Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte. Through their Water, Sanitation and Hygiene projects in the areas of Masbate, North Cotabato and Maguindanao they have provided rural barangays access to clean water, created tap stands and toilets, and conducted hygiene promotion sessions to fight the spread of diseases that will lead to malnutrition.
A total of 180 Barangays were declared as Zero Open Defecation Communities, positively affecting 738,566 individuals. To maintain the culture of cleanliness, 730 Barangay Health Workers were trained to continue the work started. “Restaurants Against Hunger” has also funded nutrition and food security, and livelihood projects in Zamboanga City for the internally displaced people that were forced to evacuate their homes during the 2013 siege.
“In 2016, Action Against Hunger and the Institut de Relations Internationales et Strategiques (IRIS), an international think tank that focuses on geopolitical and strategic issues, released a study entitled "Socio-economy of Chronic Malnutrition in the Philippines: A preliminary key trends analysis by 2030” to support strategic action in fighting malnutrition in the Philippines. According to the study, the Philippines ranked 9th among countries with the highest number of stunted children,” revealed Action Against Hunger Country Director, Guy Halsey.“It’s imperative that we take steps to stop the upward trajectory of malnutrition in the country. Restaurants Against Hunger is a start and everybody can participate. We can all channel our passion for food into life-saving impact against hunger and child malnutrition,” he added.
Restaurants Against Hunger is co-presented by McCormick Culinary. Sponsors are Foodpanda, Marca Leon, and Mida Food. Supporting the campaign are the LTB Chefs Association Philippines and The Spanish Chamber of Commerce. Collaborators are Acceler8, Digital Out-of-Home Philippines, Nyxsys Philippines, Pitchworks Incorporated, and Summit Outdoor Media.
To know more about the campaign, visit www.restaurantsagainsthungerphilippines.org or follow these social media accounts @RestaurantsAgainstHungerPH and @ActionAgainstHungerPH on Facebook, @RestaurantsAgainstHungerPH on Instagram and #EndHungerPH on Twitter. #RestaurantsAgainstHungerPH
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