A representative of Ecowaste Coalition teaches students of Sto. Cristo Elementary School in Quezon City how to prepare nutritious meal.
QUEZON CITY, Philippines — According to data from the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), obesity rate in the Philippines is significantly high.
From 16.6% in 1993, it increased to 31.1% in 2013, 5% of which is comprised of children aged 5 to 10 years old.
For this reason, the Ecowaste Coalition has launched today their back-to-school program themed “Healthy Baon, Healty Bata, Healthy Eskwela.” [Healthy Snack, Healthy Children, Healthy School.]
The program kicked off in Sto. Cristo Elementary School today wherein parents were taught on how to prepare healthy snacks and meals for their children whenever they go to school.
Among the food items that the group presented earlier was a burger patty made of banana flower mixed with carrots, malunggay and small amount of meat.
There was also pancake made of squashed pumpkin, coconut milk and malunggay leaves.
Another recipe was lumpia or vegetable spring rolls made of malunggay leaves and sweet potatoes or kamote.
The group also presented a variety of nutritious juices from malunggay leaves, calamansi, lemongrass, and sweet potato leaves.
“What we present today are healthy and affordable, accessible food for the children. If parents couldn’t prepare them, then we encourage school canteens to sell these kind of food,” said Aileen Lucero, Ecowaste Coalition National Coordinator.
Sto. Cristo Elementary School is among the schools that have their own school vegetable plantation.
The school principal wants to ensure that the food items that the students would buy from the canteen are nutritious.
“When a student has no prepared meal or allowance to school, he or she would not go. But once they know that they have food in school, they would be more motivated. Absenteeism is minimized. Their health is being monitored and they gain weight,” said principal Antonio Miranda.
Meanwhile, the Ecowaste Coalition is in favor of the proposed bill that raises the taxes on junk foods.
Aileen Lucero said, the bill would help to prevent the children from eating junk foods.
The group proposes that once the bill is approved, it should be utilized in creating programs that would address malnutrition through feeding programs.
(JOAN NANO/UNTV NEWS)
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