The Antipolo City local government distributed goats to residents as part of its efforts to help them recover from the adverse economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Antipolo City Mayor Jun Ynares posted photos of the turnover of the animals led by the City Veterinary Office (CVO) to the residents of Sitio Panay in Barangay San Jose where they also held a vitamins supplementation and deworming program for the beneficiaries' goats.

"Magandang alternatibo ang goat meat dahil ito ay may mababang saturated fats at lower level of cholesterols na parehong nakatutulong upang bumaba ang tiyansa na magkaroon ng iba’t-ibang heart diseases. Kilala din ang karne ng kambing bilang magandang source ng high quality lean protein (Goat meat is a good alternative because of its low saturated fat and lower level of cholesterol that both help in lowering the risk of different heart diseases)," Ynares said.

Aside from helping the residents financially, the goats would also be a great help in ensuring food security in the city.

Recently, the city government introduced various food programs that will help curb hunger among its citizens.

On Oct. 13, the city government announced its plan to procure enhanced Nutribuns and Nutricookies developed by the Department of Science and Technology’s Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) to be given to malnourished children in the town.

Ynares said the local government has allocated over P3 million for the purchase of enhanced Nutribuns and Nutricookies to be distributed to children aged one to three years old everyday for four months.

He added that the enhanced Nutribuns and Nutricookies will be made by accredited manufacturers trained by the DOST.

“Ang Nutribun ay magandang source ng Vitamin A, protein, at iron requirements ng mga bata. Kaya malaking tulong po ito upang matugunan at mapaganda pa ang nutritional status ng ating mga kabataan (Nutribun is a good source of Vitamin A, protein, and iron requirements of children. This is the reason why it is a big help in solving and improving the nutritional status of our youth),” Ynares said.

On July 29, 2020, the DOST-FNRI conducted the first-ever online soft launching of the enhanced Nutribun dubbed as “Ang Pagbabalik ng Nutribun.”

The virtual launching was attended by 399 participants from different regions and offices.

They included DOST Regional Offices and Provincial Science and Technology Centers, DOST Research and Development Institutes and Councils, Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), National Nutrition Council Field Offices, academe, hospitals, other government agencies like Philippine Navy and PhilRice, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) like bakeries and other food manufacturers.

The DOST-FNRI first conducted research to reformulate the bread of the 70s, the Nutribun. The reformulated version is called the enhanced Nutribun.

The enhanced Nutribun has more micronutrients like iron and vitamin A. The texture is softer and weighs 160 to 165 grams per piece, which is easier for children to hold and eat.

The agency said that each serving of the enhanced Nutribun contains 504 calories, 17.8 grams protein, 6.08 milligrams iron, and 244 micrograms of Vitamin A.