The National Nutrition Council (NNC) in Mimaropa (Mindoro Occidental, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan) has identified the municipality of Baco as having the highest prevalence of child stunting in Oriental Mindoro, prompting the implementation of targeted and extensive nutrition intervention programs in priority communities.
Baco led the province’s top 10 towns with the highest stunting rates among children aged 0 to 59 months, with a 27.38 percent prevalence rate or 772 children categorized as stunted or severely stunted. This meant a child is too short for his or her age due to dietary factors.
The municipality of Gloria ranked second with 20.34 percent (660 children), followed by San Teodoro at 19.16 percent (283 children), Bulalacao at 18.37 percent, and Pinamalayan at 15.91 percent. The list also includes the municipalities of Bansud, Pola, Bongabong, Puerto Galera, and Victoria.
NNC officials said this data will serve as a guide for local governments and partner agencies to focus resources and programs where they are most needed.
‘The latest tally allows us to identify priority areas where interventions should be intensified,’ Nutrition Program Coordinator Ma. Eileen Bringas-Blanco said in a statement.
Bringas-Blanco emphasized that addressing stunting demands strengthened local nutrition governance and will requite nutrition services to reach the most vulnerable children and families.
‘Nutrition is a shared responsibility. Through stronger local planning, effective implementation of nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive programs, and active community participation, we can significantly reduce stunting and improve the quality of life of Filipino children,’ she said.
Key interventions that are being scaled up include supplementary feeding, the promotion of exclusive breastfeeding, more maternal nutrition services, a system for growth monitoring, micronutrient supplementation, nutrition education, food security projects, and water, sanitation, and hygiene initiatives.
The NNC said that the first 1,000 days of a child’s life-from pregnancy up to age two-is the most critical window to prevent stunting, a condition linked to lifelong impacts on physical growth, learning ability, and productivity.
Baco has not yet responded to the NNC tally. INQ