“The fastest mode of communication is through Prayer. God receives them even before we send them.” --Jesse Corrales

The number of families suffering hunger has gone down according to the latest  SWS survey and this is confirmed by beneficiaries of government and private feeding programs.

Despite the hard economic times, recipients of the monthly Pl,200 government financial help to the “poorest of the poor” through the DSWD , attest that the money has helped put some food on their tables and taken cared of a few of their basic necessities.

Well and good , but national government shouldn’t be complacent for so much more has to be done to give the five years old and below a chance to grown mentally and physically. And here  is where the United Nations Food Program,    non-governmental groups like the Kabisig ng Lahi and corporations with social consciences like Unlever and Mead Johnson  come in. To fill the wide gaps in the government’s efforts to alleviate hunger , especially among the most vulnerable – the women and children, or, the moms and babes!

We in media tend not to pay too much attention to programs like these because we want sensational scandals, and yet as Arch. Oscar Cruz of Pangasinan observed in our recent Bulong Pulungan sa Sofitel forum on child malnutrition  , “It’s about time we heard good news!”

The unexpected accolade coming from the very candid , outspoken   anti- administration critic who dropped in our forum and stayed to be a “reactor” made the proponents of the feeding programs  inspired to do more. Jika Dalupan, Corporate Relations Director of Unilever  and Stephen Anderson, country director of the UN Food Program , Mead Johnson’s Jayve Salamat and Vicky Weineke of Kabisig ng Lahi , I am sure will more than double their efforts.

And after listening to the feeding program of the multi-sectoral  partners, Cruz  revealed  that in his diocese, the church also had their own food projects  but he stressed that his thrust was biased for the girls.

“Girls first , the boys, ‘bahala na sila.’” When pressed why this preferential treatment for the young girls, he explained that it’s the girls who grow up to be women who need help with their  health and education needs since they are the most vulnerable to diseases and exploitation.             

“If you empower them with better health and education, they will not be pushed around by the men- even  by their own fathers, brothers, husbands.”
His program costs P3.40 a day per child, so his flock “adopts” a child-a-day to meet her daily  needs. 

Cruz was also effusive about the theme song of the Knorr (Unilever) video and jingle for the campaign against child malnutrition,  Makulay ang Buhay ng Batang Pinoy which he added was popular with children in Pangasinan.This madethe Unilever bosses there blush with pleasure!

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Unilever started the Pasiglahin ang Batang Pinoy supplementary feeding program in Metro Manila in 2002 and its success in upping the weight of the malnourished beneficiaries gave birth to the new program, Makulay ang Buhay which is now nation wide. The  UN Food Program  in it’s “food for school” project has reached some 120,000 children  especially in strife-torn areas of Mindanao and is committed to continue in their efforts in partnership with Kabisig ng Lahi, Unilever and Mead Johnson for children ages five and below.

Vicky, an ex-producer of fashion garments is now a “masa-based” volunteer for the Kabisig and she said that it was the poor who they were helping were the “givers” of blessings. Her group partners with those who are earnestly wanting to help alleviate the malnutrition problem among the young children. She pointed out that the mothers do their share of budgeting, purchasing inexpensive food , and cooking them for the beneficiaries, either in a community center or in designated schools.