For ‘nanay’ and ‘bulilit’

Pending in the House of Representatives is HB 5777 or the “First 1,000 Days” bill. It goes by the rather exhaustive (and exhausting) title of “An Act Strengthening the National and Local Health and Nutrition Programs for Pregnant and Lactating Women, Adolescent Girls of Reproductive Age and Teenage Mothers, Infants and Young Children in the First 1,000 Days, and Appropriating Funds Therefor.”

The Senate version—given the catchy title of the “Healthy Nanay and Bulilit (Mother and Toddler) Act” — was recently passed on third reading with principal author Sen. Sonny Angara.

Given that it’s literally a “motherhood” piece of legislation, there should be no problem getting this bill passed into law. Unless there’s a legislator or official out there who doesn’t believe that mothers and children deserve to survive and to lead healthy lives, especially during the mother’s pregnancy and the crucial first two years of life.

The “First 1,000 Days Act” — especially its prompt and complete implementation — is also, or should be, the linchpin of governance intervention to address the crisis of malnutrition.

Indeed, says Helle Thorning-Schmidt, former prime minister of Denmark and international CEO of Save the Children, malnutrition is the main cause for the falling rating of the Philippines in the global ranking of the best and worst countries for
children to grow up in.

The Philippines has dropped eight places and fallen outside of the Top 100 countries since last year.

In a statement, the Save the Children CEO said that it was “disappointing to see that malnutrition and stunting are stalling progress here in the Philippines, particularly for children under 5.”

Visiting Navotas, whose local government works closely with Save the Children in providing health services for families, Thorning-Schmidt met with a 15-year-old mother who confessed to barely scraping together the resources to feed her baby and her family. “She needed help to continue breastfeeding, mainly because she had to start working outside the home, and also to access family planning,” recalled the Save the Children CEO.

Indeed, lack of access to family planning is a big problem for teen mothers, such that by the time they reach the age of 19, many already have two or more children.

Already disadvantaged even before birth, children are further harmed by lack of food, or to eating the “wrong” kinds of food. The World Health Organization notes that the leading cause of death worldwide of over 5.9 million children under 5 was malnutrition. Locally, one in three children has been found suffering from stunting, a result of malnutrition.

“Stunting” refers not just to low height and weight, but also to other indicators, including the capacity to learn and to participate in daily activities, like play. Local nutrition authorities say the first two years of life are “crucial” to a child’s healthy development, and effects of malnutrition at this stage could very well be irreversible.

In preparing the report, “The Many Faces of Exclusion,” Save the Children looked at eight indicators of child health and survival. Of these “events,” three stand out as the most common causes that bring an end to childhood: poverty, conflict and discrimination because of gender.

“More than half the world’s children are starting their lives held back because they are a girl, because they are poor or because they are growing up in a war zone. Early marriage, child labor and malnutrition are just some of the life-changing events that can rob children of their childhood,” Thorning-Schmidt said.

Wondering how other countries fared? Singapore and Slovenia tied for first place, while the Philippines fell behind neighbors like China (40), Thailand (85), and Vietnam (96). Indonesia ranked a place lower, at 105.

“It’s really disappointing to see the Philippines slide backwards in the index, and to see an increase in stunting,” said Save the Children Philippines CEO Alberto Muyot, this despite decades of work to improve nutrition standards here.