Iloilo 1st district Rep. Janette Garin (Facebook)

Iloilo 1st district Janette Garin has expressed alarm over reports that Western Visayas is on top of the list of areas with children dealing with impaired growth.

Garin, a former Department of Health ((DOH) secretary, raised the issue during the Murang Pagkain Super-committee hearing on Tuesday, Nov. 26. She discussed the the alarming prevalence of stunting in the region.

Stunting, commonly referred to as "bansot" in layman's terms, is attributed to factors such as poor maternal nutrition and health during pregnancy, improper child feeding and care practices, and repeated infections during the critical first 1,000 days of a child's life.

According to the DOH-Region 6, Western Visayas is particularly affected by stunting, with high rates reported in Badiangan, Duenas, and Carles in Iloilo, as well as Don Salvador Benedicto and Calatrava in Negros Occidental.

The lady lawmaker frowned over the high prices of food, especially rice and eggs. These are considered staple in the diet of Filipinos, especially children.

Garin, a deputy majority leader, says there is a need to ensure the affordability of food in order to provide adequate nutrition to every Filipino.

"While I agree with the word controlling [of the prices of food], I believe it is time to change that to 'humanizing' food prices—makatao at makatarungang presyo ng pagkain (food prices must be humane and just)," the member of the Committee on Agriculture and Food pointed out. 

The Iloilo lawmaker also slammed traders who--despite President Marcos' issuance of Executive Order (EO) No. 62 last July to lower tariffs--kept rice prices at practically the same level before tariffs were reduced. 

"'Yung binaba ang buwis ng bigas ng 20 porsyento, ang expected na pagbaba ng presyo ng bigas ay P5 to P6. Bakit ang binaba ay .44 cents lamang po?" she asked.

(The expected reduction in rice prices was P5 to P6 per kilo by virtue of the 20 percent tariff cut. Why was the price cut only. 44 cents?)

"Ginagawa ng gobyerno ang lahat subalit doon sa gitna ay mayroong mga negosyanteng kinakamkam ang dapat para kay Juan at Maria (The government is doing everything it can, and yet there are traders who take away what is for Juan at Maria.) This should be pinpointed because it is actually vandalizing the intention of the government," Garin said.