ZAMBOANGA Sibugay 1st District Rep. Wilter Wee Palma II pushed a measure that seeks to establish a program to improve the nutrition and well-being of children and adults in villages.

House Bill 3030 aims to set up a Barangay Integrated Development Approach for Nutrition Improvement in rural areas as a linkage program for state universities and colleges and community colleges.

Palma explained that everyday, hunger kills 21,000 people aroound the world or one death every four seconds and most of the victims are children.

“Malnutrition as a result of hunger poses a threat not only to children but also to adults. Children are at risk to various diseases and mental illnesses,” Palma said in his explanatory note.

He explained that the Integrated Development Approach is an active research initiative by participating colleges and universities aiming to address the nutritional gaps that could lead to the proper maintenance of a person’s diet and nutrition.

House Bill 3030 mandates the establishmet of BIDANI as a nutrition-in-development research program involving SUCs and community colleges which aims to assist national government in improving the nutrition and general well-being of the poor.

“It is a comprehensive model for countryside development programs which makes nutrition as an entry point, an ultimate goal and objective, and an indicator and a measure of development. It is a strategy to combat malnutrition, insufficiency of food, social deprivation and poverty alleviation,” Palma said.

The bill will require SUCs and community colleges to conduct training and capacity-building activities on strategies and innovative practices to ensure that in-planning nutrition shall be integrated in all areas of local governance.