Gov’t, private sector unite in fight vs malnutrition

The Fres-C juice drink and the Department of Education (DepEd) have partnered in addressing malnutrition among schoolchildren through the Batang Fres-C Hataw campaign.

The campaign has engaged more than 58,000 pupils in 36 pilot schools across the country, promoting proper diet and physical exercise.

Statistics from DepEd’s Health and Nutrition section revealed that while a significant number of Filipino schoolchildren are undernourished, many pupils are also becoming overnourished.

Among the 12.9 million elementary pupils weighed in in school year 2010-2011, more than two million or about 16 percent are undernourished, while more than 356,000 or nearly 3 percent are overnourished.

Given the data, the DepEd partnered with Batang Fres-C campaign to promote healthy lifestyle among schoolchildren.

During the Batang Fres-C Hataw event, elementary students learned about living through interactive lectures and games.

The main highlight of the event is the “Hataw Exercise,” a mix of cardiovascular exercises and calisthenics developed by the team of Prof. Hercules Callanta of the UP College of Human Kinetics.

The campaign also includes a Nutrition 101 seminar wherein representatives from DepEd Health and Nutrition section teach parents, teachers and canteen managers proper nutrition for children, as contained in the Nutritional Guidelines for Filipinos.

Fres-C is the powdered juice brand of Ajinomoto Philippines Corp.