MANILA — Malacanang on Sunday assured that the government was strengthening its programs to combat malnutrition among children.
Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said that these programs are being implemented by the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Coloma further said that reducing malnutrition among children was part of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs, after all.
“In the aspect of malnutrition, that is one of the primary reasons why we are conducting a comprehensive conditional cash transfer (CCT) program,” the PCOO chief said.
The CCT program, also known as Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), aims at improving the conditions of poor people in terms of health and nutrition, education and community participation.
According to the DSWD, it is the national government’s flagship program which works to reduce poverty reduction and to bring social development.
Under the program, grants are made available to extremely poor households so that their health, nutrition and education, particularly children aged 0 to 14 years old can be improved.