The Alliance for Healthy Children (AHC) which includes various civic organizations such as: Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions, Jaycees, Midwives and the World Vision and others in partnership with The Manila Hotel will hold a fund-raising concert and formally launch the massive nationwide nutrition program for children at the Tent City of The Manila Hotel on November 26, 2022 at 6:00 pm.
Atty. Joey Lina, over-all project chair, first 1,000 days nutrition program and president of The Manila Hotel said: “Unless the country solves its children malnutrition problem particularly in the child’s first 1,000 days, which is the most critical period in the development of a child’s brain, the Philippines’ human resource will be less productive and school performance will be poor.”
Lina furthered the appalling facts and figures on the country’s children’s health and nutrition:
- “The underlying cause of 95 child deaths daily in the Philippines is child undernutrition.”, according to the 2015 Unite For Children report from United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF). This makes children undernutrition in our country much worse than the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The 2016 Global Nutrition Report said the Philippines is among those with the highest wasting and stunting prevalence. Of a total of 130 countries ranked lowest to highest on wasting prevalence, the Philippines is ranked 93rd. On stunting, the Philippines has 30.3% prevalence and is at 88th spot out of 132 countries also ranked lowest to highest.
- Health experts have warned that “chronic undernutrition leads to stunted growth, which is irreversible and is associated with impaired cognitive ability and reduced school performance, as well as poor work capacity and productivity.”
- When it comes to Intelligence Quotient (IQ) in Southeast Asian nations, the Philippines ranked lowest according to a study released last year by the World Population Review.
- The Philippines ranked lowest in reading literacy among 79 countries, and second to lowest in mathematics and science, based on the evaluation last 2019 by the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).
“We are happy and blessed to be able to present this concert together with the help of our friends to support the National Nutrition Program. This concert will allow us to share our advocacy and let people know how they can get involved.” Lina added.
The concert will feature some of the best musicians in the nation, including Isay Alvarez, Lara Maigue, and Rachelle Gerodias, together with former press secretary Mike Toledo, former executive secretary Atty. Salvador Medialdea and former senator Atty. Joey Lina.
