Manila Doctors bolsters social, health-care services with new, renewed partnerships

In its thrust to further provide quality and top-notch medical care and responsive social services to the public, Manila d o ctors Hospital (M d H ), one of the leading tertiary hospitals in the country, continues to ink new and existing partnerships with private and public institutions in the Philippines.

Last May 2023, M d H si gned a Memorandum of a g reement (MO a ) w ith a B s - CB n Foundation ( a F I) for the creation of programs that will seek to protect children’s rights, raise awareness on child protection and mental wellness, and provide referrals for medical services.

M d H an d a F I will collaborate on the provision of medical support for pediatric patients and the implementation of Bantay Bata 163’s Child s a fe s c hools and Project MI nd in Rafael Palma e lementary s c hool and a m ado V. Hernandez e l ementary s c hool, both beneficiaries of M d H ’s s c hool Health Program. In addition, the partnership will also provide M d H a b olstered dissemination of Bantay Bata’s H e L PLI ne 163, a child-focused helpline, which gives access to rescue from child abuse, basic social work counseling and free psychological services. a s part of the strengthened collaboration of M d H with public institutions, the tertiary hospital also signed an expanded MO a with the office of s e nator s h erwin t. G atchalian, through its WI n a c tion Center, July 27, 2023. t h e renewed partnership is expected to boost the hospital’s social services programs and their continuous collaboration for the annual celebration of n a - t ional te achers Month and the conduct of external medical and surgical missions. t h e partnership with the then 1st d strict Representative of Valenzuela begun in 2014, and has so far served more than 8,000 patients. t h e senator was also an active partner of the hospital for its various social and healthcare campaigns like the a n ti-Violence against Women and Children (VaW C), Cervical Cancer a w areness, a n ti-Human tr afficking, and Mental Wellness for Children with tr auma.

ACCORDI n G to Dr. Racquel Cainap-Andaya, a Fellow of the Philippine Pediatrics Society, Inc. (PPSI) and part of the Consultant Staff of The Medical City South Luzon, during the pediatric nutrition webinar organized by The Medical City South Luzon, malnutrition, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), are “deficiencies, excesses, or imbalances in a person’s intake of energy and/or nutrients.” She said malnutrition encompasses the whole spectrum of undernutrition (wasting, stunting), micronutrient deficiencies, plus overweight and obesity. Based on the “Levels and trends in child malnutrition” report developed by the WHO together with U n I CEF and the World Bank Group presented by Dr. Cainap-Andaya, she said that latest estimates point that globally, around 148.1 million children under five years old are experiencing stunting, with 52 percent of them found in Asia, while 45 million kids below five years of age are underweight for their height (“wasting”). This can still go high, Dr. CainapAndaya said, if the estimates were done for a whole year. Around 70 percent of those in the “wasting” category live in Asia, and there are 37 million children, still under the same age bracket, who are overweight and obese, with 48 percent of them, again, are in Asia.

Under the Expanded national nutrition Survey: nutritional

Status of Filipino Children done in 2018, 2019 and 2021, and still for children under five years old, stunting declined from 30.3 percent to 26.7 percent, but still high, according to Dr. CainapAndaya. In terms of wasting, it is at 5.5 percent so there’s not much of an improvement, while those who are overweight or obese even increased to 3.9 percent in 2021 compared to 2.9 percent in 2019, though she believes the pandemic may have contributed to this uptick.

Poor nutrition—its effects

DR. Cainap-Endaya emphasized the importance of children eating healthy or getting good nutrition. “The effects of poor nutrition are not found only in children but it can have longterm effects and consequences, and it can result to tragic loss in human and economic potential.”

From an economic standpoint, in 2017, it was estimated that the total cost to the Philippine economy brought about by childhood undernutrition

The pathway in effective pediatric nutritional intervention, she said, starts with screening and assessment, then establish diagnosis, then comes intervention, and there is the constant need to monitor and evaluate the patient. “Sometimes the counseling that the patient or parents receive may not suffice to see effects on the patient so there’s a need for monitoring, and if in monitoring there is no progress, there may be a need to re-evaluate the prescription and intervention and change whatever needs to be changed,” Dr. Cainap-Endaya explained.

One way of ensuring that pediatric patients develop eating healthy eating habits that is easy to follow and definitely tailor-fit for the Filipino, proven formula developed by the Department of Science and Technology-Food n u trition and Research Institute (DOSTF n R I) is the “Pinggang Pinoy.” She described it as a good tool to teach kids or their parents or caregivers how to provide appropriate and diverse diet to children. Dr. Cainap-Endaya also came up with her own meal plan she called “Eat the Rainbow,” composed of a variety of colorful fruits and veggies, to drink water instead of sugary beverages, no “screen time” when eating, eat their protein, choose healthy snacks, and enjoy the meal on schedule and with the family.

“In teaching kids to develop healthy eating habits, it is important that caregivers or parents actually model the same healthy eating habits that they’d like the children to develop, and part of that is to enjoy eating their meals with the family. We’d like to have them feel having the meal in an enjoyable environment.”

Other forms of intervention

DR. Cainap-Endaya said other interventions, especially at home, children should be educated on the value of sleep hygiene because this affects growth and development, personal/oral hygiene, physical activity to achieve balance between activity and nutrient intake, always limit gadget time, which is easier said than done. “What can probably be done is that a companion should be around during screen time.”

She also pointed to the value of updated immunization, patient education, more importantly on the part of the caregiver, who is most of the time the one who needs education on proper nutrition, or if the patient or child is old enough, direct counseling can be done. “Again, this is a multi-disciplinary approach done especially with the dietitian.”

Mayonnaise, World Vision inspire children with reboot of ‘Dear Classmate’

EVERY child dream to be somebody when they grow up. For many, however, the journey to success starts with overcoming the challenges of academic life. This is the powerful message behind the new rendition of Dear Classmate, the iconic song by alternative rock band Mayonnaise produced in collaboration with World Vision.

Together with child-focused humanitarian organization World Vision, the OPM rock quintet, known for their timeless hit “Jopay,” has rewritten and tweaked a few lines of their original 2014 song to deliver a meaningful message that resonates with the audience of today and generations to come, inspiring kids to embrace and value education, and encouraging them to pursue their dreams and reach their full potential.

“We wanted to do this small thing for World Vision because, just like us, they’re striving to make a difference in children’s lives. While ours has been through music, World Vision does it through its many programs,” Mayonnaise frontman and prolific composer Monty Macalino said. “In the same way that we started out as young, hopeful underdogs, we encourage the youth to study hard, prioritize their future, and stay focused on their dreams. Big things will happen for sure!”

As the band celebrates their 20th anniversary, Mayonnaise hopes “Dear Classmate” sends a positive message to millions of their loyal fans, including the present generation, who continue to adore their music.

“Mayonnaise’s 20th anniversary is really a milestone to be celebrated,” says World Vision executive director Rommel V. Fuerte. “Thank you for supporting our mission to achieve hope, joy, and justice for all children. Together with our donors, sponsors, and partners [like Mayonnaise], we will continue to work hard to help ensure that underprivileged children can reach his or her full potential. We pray for the continued success of Mayonnaise and their music.”

“Dear Classmate [World Vision’s Version]” can be streamed on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and other digital music platforms (wvph.co/MayoWV ). The music video is available for viewing at youtu.be/ recYlLeANSk.

More information is available at www.worldvision. org.ph

For more updates, follow World Vision Philippines’ official social media pages: @worldvisionph on Facebook and Twitter, and @worldvisionphl on Instagram.