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LEADING powdered filled milk product Bear Brand has
taken the lead in promoting milk education in the Philippines
through its annual campaign dubbed as “Laki Sa Gatas.”
Now on its third year, Bear Brand
“Laki Sa Gatas” visits hundreds of public-elementary schools
from various regions to educate students, parents and teachers on
the importance of drinking milk and how to make the right food
choices to ensure proper nutrition.
“The prevalence of malnutrition
coupled with the alarming decrease in milk consumption in recent
years have made us realize the need to take on this cause,”
explains Eugene David, Nestlé Philippines Inc. (NPI) business
executive manager for Dairy Health and Nutrition Solutions, the
makers of Bear Brand.
According to the National
Nutrition Survey conducted by the Food and Nutrition Research
Institute (FNRI), milk consumption had dramatically decreased among
Filipino children as they get older. This is quite a concern
considering the nutritional recommendation of one glass a day based
on the Nutritional Guidelines for Filipinos. Milk is an excellent
source of essential nutrients like protein, calcium, vitamin A and
zinc very important for growth and development of these children.
Together with the Nutrition
Foundation of the Philippines (NFP) and other healthcare
professionals, children, parents, and teachers are reeducated on the
nutritional value of milk and the importance of eating the right
amounts of Go, Grow and Glow foods to have good nutrition.
Parents and teachers also take
part in Laki Sa Gatas. Parent sessions involve lectures on how to
make the right food choices for their families through effectively
incorporating the Go, Grow, and Glow foods in their children’s
diet. One of the most affordable and convenient ways to do this is
by providing their children with at least two glasses of milk
everyday.
The teachers, meanwhile, are
trained to help them screen and address malnutrition problems among
their students. A registered nutritionist dietitian leads the
teacher’s session.
In the first two years, the Laki
Sa Gatas campaign covered over 1,600 schools across in the provinces
of Cebu, Davao, IloIlo, Bacolod, La Union, Pampanga and Batangas.
“So far we are happy to
announce that we have reached out to more than 700,000 students,
430,000 mothers, and 7,200 public-school teachers,” reports David.
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