Category: Personal

I always have a war going on my head at times that I don’t want to mingle with other people. Sometimes, when I want to be alone, I grab a good book, have something to drink and stare at blank space- hugging the book and letting emotions flood my system. When I am in my solitary moments and people (may they be close to me or not) pass by, my attention shifts to what they do and everything about them.

I have the habit of having my moments in the swing outside our home in Ilocos Norte. My grandmother has a sari-sari store and people come and go. Those times, when I’m enjoying my solace, and they just walk around not minding me minding about them, I begin to think on what they are in my life.

I remember my Tito (my mother’s brother) as the first person I saw last Monday. He’s just there, at the far side of our home, on a deep thought and I wondered if he was thinking about his daughter who just died last May. I became his partner in taking good care of his pregnant wife in the hospital for two weeks. I should be in Baguio by then, passing my requirements in my internship classes, but hierarchy of loyalty as it is, I stayed in Ilocos Norte for him to have a company. I was not that kind of person that run up and down the stairs of hospitals just to buy foods, medicines and everything we need. I hate hospitals. I hate sleeping inside a hospital room. I hate the feeling of someone close to me is ill again- because last year, I was in that same hospital, taking care of my Mom, who had an operation because of Myoma. But I stayed, despite of my tight schedule because of SK activities last summer and despite of the other loyalties that I must take into consideration, too that time.

It dawned on me that he is my Tito that kept on picking me up on bus stations even on midnights, he is my best friend that fights for me when I need him to, he is my fraternity brother that I share the same principles with, and he is the older brother that I never had.

I can never thank you enough!

Handclasp*

P.S. Passed this article to my Speech Communication 101 class.

Writer’s Note: This article was published on the blog of Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte  when I was an intern of Communications and Media Office. Miss Grazielle, my “supervisor” helped me a lot with this.

I cannot grab the photos but the the original post was: PGIN restarts nutrition scholars’ operation, gears to eradicate malnutrition ~

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The Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN) has relaunched the Barangay Nutrition Scholar (BNS) evaluation in municipalities in the Province.

A BNS is a trained volunteer community worker who undergoes training on nutrition program management. The training enables them to acquire knowledge, attitudes and skills needed for them to identify and monitor the malnourished and provide nutrition counseling.

During the time of President Ferdinand Marcos, the Presidential Decree 1569 known as the Strengthening Barangay Nutrition Program was incepted. One of its provisions is the assignment of one BNS per barangay.

Willingness and being a bonafide resident of the barangay for at least 4 years are among the requirements needed to qualify as BNS. Having leadership potential is also an advantage.

With Ilocos Norte’s nutrition committee chaired by Governor Imee Marcos herself, the logistics expenses like the transportation of the members of the committee are funded by PGIN.  The committee is now attached to the Provincial Health Office (PHO) and continues to train not only BNS but also midwives and Barangay Health Workers particularly on infant and young child feeding.

Among the various functions of a BNS is to locate and identify malnourished children through a community survey.

They monitor the weight and height of children from 0 to 71 months old through the annual Operation Timbang Plus using the three indicators of nutritional status of preschoolers; weight-for-age, height/length-for-age and weight- for-length/height.

Elma Irapta of Provincial Nutrition Office revealed that when the members of the BNS found out that there are children who are malnourished, the BNS formulate an action plan together with the Barangay Nutrition Committee to address the prevalence of malnutrition in the barangay.

“If there is a sign of malnutrition, the children are immediately referred to the Rural Health Unit for medical check-up,” said Irapta.

18 multi-sectoral agencies merge in the Provincial Nutrition Council to address malnutrition.

Some of these agencies are the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Technical Education and Skills and Development Authority (TESDA), Ilocos Norte- Provincial Health Office (PHO), Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO), Office of the Provincial Agriculture, Budget Office, Philippine Information Agency, Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

Current health- related projects by these agencies supported by PGIN include the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) supplemental feeding for Day Care pupils; the Gulayan sa Paaralan project funded and implemented by Department of Agriculture for feeding school children; and the DOH’s Garantisadong Pambata, which involves the deworming and immunization of all preschool children now implemented by various health institutions in the province. The PHO also distribute multivitamins for preschoolers.

“Scholars get minimal cash incentives depending on the availability of funds from the municipal and barangay level,” Irapta said.

“When the BNS does his work well, he may be chosen as an outstanding BNS. It can be in municipality or city, province, region and even in the national level. He will receive cash incentives depending on his score on the National search,” Irapta concluded.

The annual monitoring and evaluation is a project mandated by the National Nutrition Council in cooperation with the local government units. – Neyzielle Ronnicque R. Cadiz, CMO Intern

Writer’s Note: This article was published on the blog of Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte  when I was an intern of Communications and Media Office. Miss Grazielle, my “supervisor” helped me a lot with this.

I cannot grab the photos but the the original post was: Gov. Marcos grants 3, 873 scholarships for March, in support of MDGs ~

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The Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Office of the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN) reveals that there are 3, 873 recipients of the scholarship grant from Governor Imee Marcos last March. This comes from the office’s accomplishment report on the sector of education.

The project is better known as the Iskolar ni Manang Imee and School Repairs program.

According to Edwin Cariño, project manager of the MDG Office, the objective of the said program is to provide financial assistance of miscellaneous expenses of parents to attain the number two goal which is to “Achieve Universal Primary Education.”

All of the recipients come from MDG schools located in 246 barangays in the province.  The elementary schools scholars will receive 250 pesos per month while high school scholars will receive 450 pesos.

The 3, 873 scholars came from the municipalities of Bacarra, Bangui/Dumalneg, Pagudpud, Pasuquin, Piddig/Carasi, Vintar, Paoay and Pinili.

Governor Imee personally awards every scholarship grant.

“The fund comes from the MDG budget of the province during the month,” says Cariño.

Last February, the 779 recipients came from two MDG schools from the Municipality of Burgos, six from Pasuquin and eight from Sarrat respectively.–Neyzielle Ronnicque R. Cadiz, CMO Intern