To raise funds for a massive nationwide nutrition program for children, a charity dinner concert will be held at The Manila Hotel on Nov. 26, 2022 at 6:00 p.m.
This was announced by Joey Lina, The Manila Hotel president and former senator, after the formation of an alliance of non-governmental organizations called Alliance for Healthy Children (AHC) last Oct. 6, 2022 at The Manila Hotel. The alliance aims to increase awareness on the serious children malnutrition problem in the country and to implement barangay-based nutrition intervention program especially during the child’s first 1,000 days. The organizations include Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions, Jaycees, Midwives and the World Vision and others. The AHC will work in tandem with government, particularly with the National Nutrition Council (NNC), the Departments of Health, Education, Social Welfare and Development, and Interior and Local Governments.
The performers in the concert include the country’s premier music artists Isay Alvarez, Lara Maigue, Rachelle Gerodias, former Press Secretary Atty. Mike Toledo, former Executive Secretary Atty. Salvador Medialdea and Joey Lina.
Invited special guests are Finance Secretary Ben Diokno, Labor Secretary Benny Laguesma, and former Chief of Staff and National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, Jr.
Malusog na Bata, Malakas na Bansa is the battle cry of the alliance. The theme of the concert is “Yes, I Believe.”
In a letter to various business organization and individuals asking for support to the nutrition program and the charity dinner concert, Lina explained the appalling facts and figures on the country’s children’s health and nutrition:
1. “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.
2. 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 percent prevalence and is at 88th spot out of 132 countries also ranked lowest to highest.
3. 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.”
4. 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.
5. 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).
For 4 and 5 items, children undernutrition is easily identifiable as a major cause.
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 added.