1 in 10 children in Barangay Ermita, Cebu underfed, survey reveals | Sun.Star.

by SunStar.com.ph
January 26, 2012

  CEBU CITY — For the second year, Barangay Ermita had the most number of underweight and malnourished children among the 80 villages of Cebu City.

Barangay captain Antonieto Flores said local authorities will try to double their efforts in implementing nutrition programs this year.

The findings are based on the City Health Department’s (CHD) Operation Timbang, where health workers examined how many preschool children 0 to 71 months old were underweight in each barangay.

Of the 1,316 preschool children in Ermita who were weighed last year, 127 (9.6 percent) were found underweight and 31 (2.35 percent) were severely underweight. This was a slight improvement from the barangay’s record the year before.

In 2010, Ermita also landed in the top spot. That year, the CHD weighed 1,368 preschoolers, and found 135 (9.86 percent) underweight and 47 others (3.43 percent) severely underweight.

Flores said there are several non-government organizations (NGOs) that regularly conduct feeding programs in their barangay.

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