by Dong de los Reyes December 1, 2022 Quezon PSWDO Nancy Ilagan (Photo from her FB Page) LUCENA CITY - Not really a distinction or honor to ...
December 1, 2022
 |
| Quezon PSWDO Nancy Ilagan (Photo from her FB Page) |
LUCENA CITY - Not really a distinction or honor to howl about: the eight billionth baby born to a Tondo couple at the Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital, welcomed into the world by Philippine Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM) officials. The infant saw the light of day at 1:29 a.m. local time on November 15.
Cynics would see such as another drip in the sea of humanity or one more strip of straw to add whit of weight until another whit breaks the planet's capacity to sustain life.
After all, people are either feeder/breeder or mouths to feed and breeders making more hungry mouths or the precious few who take on the yoke of producing sufficient food or harnessing minds to make a difference in the lives of the population.
The UN estimates that some 385,000 babies are born each day around the world or 140 million a year.
The 2021 average of 18.1 births per 1,000 total population equates to approximately 4.3 births per second or about 259 births per minute for the world.
As of late, the Filipino populace headcount is at 110.5 million that has rattled policymakers to draw up needful measures to harness both mind and muscle of the growing numbers for productive, noteworthy ends.
Sages both Lao Tzu and Plato who embody the best minds of East and West are empathic about sound child rearing as more vitally important to humanity than politics, statecraft, warfare, or diplomacy. That import is not lost on Quezon officials tasked with the thankless tasks of ensuring that children are shaped in the lathe of a template adopted in the November celebration of the National Children's Month: "Kalusugan, Kaisipan, at Kapakanan ng Bawat Bata, Ating Tutukan."
It is a clarion call to action.
Focus on health
"The person is a composite of body and mind- there is no dichotomy. Demographics indicate that more and more children fall prey to stunting and wasting, which means that during pregnancy, no proper care was carried out by the mother."
So revealed Quezon provincial social welfare and development officer Nancy Ilagan, operations division head for the provincial social welfare and development office in a recent interview with journalist Belinda Otordoz of the Sentinel Times.
A salient measure to ensure infant health, according to Ilagan, is exclusive breastfeeding for the newborn for six months- no other food for the baby, plus regular pediatric check-ups, and inoculations at the medically prescribed times.
Barangay health workers are tasked to teach nursing mothers to nourish their newborns and how to express their milk with proper nutrition that ensures supply of mom's milk.
Too. rural health units throughout Quezon are equipped with mother's milk banks to address the high rates of infant malnutrition.
"A child is a social responsibility, more so a government responsibility. So, ensuring optimum health for the newborn in its first 1,000 days of life is now a national policy implemented nationwide," Ilagan stressed.
Enhancing awareness
Quezon province has taken taken steps toward capability and awareness building amongst health workers and communities for a broader, deeper understanding of children's rights.
More basic that is knowning that a child's growth and development is "basically a product of heredity and environment."
"Napakalaki ng epekto ng social environment sa paglaki at pag-unlad ng bata," Ilagan noted, and added, "napakalaki ng influence ng values ng family at mga kahalubilo ng bata sa community."
She added that under the leadership of Gov. Dr. Helen Tan, the Quezon provincial government is undertaking investment plans and programs for child development.
A recent Tan executive order was issued to bolster the Provincial Council for the Protection of Children that calls for active participation of both town and provincial councils in pro-children's weal.
No comments