Malacanang enjoins all Filipinos to listen to President Aquino's State of the Nation Address on Monday

Malacanang enjoined all Filipinos to listen to President Benigno S. Aquino III’s fourth State of the Nation Address that he will deliver at the House of Representatives on Monday, July 22.

In a press briefing aired over government-run radio station dzRB Radyo ng Bayan on Sunday, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said the President’s SONA will be broadcast live over television (PTV-4), radio (dzRB) and over the Internet via live stream at www.gov.ph to allow Filipinos to watch and listen to the SONA.

“Bukas ang State of the Nation Address, merong livestreaming ang Official Gazette or gov.ph. Naka-live na po ang website natin sa SONA, nandoon ang ilang mga trivia tungkol sa SONA, kumpleto po ang Official Gazzette sa lahat ng SONA ng mga pangulo mula kay Pangulong Manuel L. Quezon nang una niyang nag-deliver nito noong November 1935,” Lacierda said.

“Ito po ay ika-75th na SONA po ng ating bayan. So meron pong mga trivia sa website ng gov.ph, inaanyayahan po natin ang mga mamamayan, ating mga kababayan, na tangkilikin po ang website na ito. At, kung meron po silang internet bukas, ila-live rin po natin ang State of the Nation Address ng ating Pangulo,” he added.

Malacanang says decision not to give rally permits near Batasan Pambansa a local government issue

Malacanang maintained on Sunday said that the decision not to allow protesters to hold anti-SONA rallies near the House of Representatives on Monday was solely due to the Quezon City government as it was a local issue that did not include the Executive Branch of government.

In a press briefing aired over government-run radio station dzRB Radyo ng Bayan, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda stressed that President Benigno S. Aquino III and members of his Cabinet will be going to the House of Representatives as guests of Congress.

“Kami po ay bisita ng lehislatura bukas. Ang executive branch po, pupunta sa Batasang Pambansa bilang mga guest —bilang mga panauhin ng lehislatura. This (not to allow rallies) is a local issue —na ang nag-desisyon ay ang Quezon City government,” Lacierda said.

He pointed out that it was the task of the local government which, in this case is the Quezon City government, to ensure the safety and security of all attendees to the State of the Nation address, President Aquino’s fourth.

“Taun-taon po naman ay ginagawa natin ang SONA. Kung ano ang magiging desisyon sa taun-taon tungkol sa seguridad, tungkol diyan po sa mga rally, iyan po ay inaasikaso ng Quezon City government. So kami po, inuulit ko lamang, wala kaming kinalaman diyan. Kami ay panauhin lang po ng lehislatura bukas,” Lacierda said.

Nutri fair kicks off nutrition month celebration in Lanao del Sur

By Apipa P. Bagumbaran

MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur, July 19 (PIA) -- The Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) here kicked off the nationwide celebration of nutrition month last week with a nutrition fair held at the covered court of Taraka, this province.

The fair showcased different health services which catered to the nutritional needs of the people especially that of children and women, said IPHO Chief Dr. Alinader Minalang.

He said they offered dental services, maternal services, immunization, vaccination, blood pressure taking and introduced food supplements such as insumix.

Aside from that, family planning counselling and nutrition lectures for pregnant women including proper breast feeding were also provided.

We did all this to ensure proper nutrition among mothers and children in the area, he added.

Also joining the kick off program were representatives from IPHO partner agencies such as World Food Programme, Zuellig Family Foundation, Regional Nutrition Council and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority who provided free haircut and massage services during the event.

Minalang said they have to double their efforts and scale up their services through multi-sectoral approach and inter-agency collaboration to eliminate hunger and malnutrition.

The problem on hunger and malnutrition is very challenging because our status is not improving very well and that the country is a signatory to the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), the number one of which is to eliminate poverty and malnutrition, he said.

The Nutrition Month celebration this year is anchored on the theme “Gutom at Malnutrisyon, Sama-Sama Nating Wakasan,” to raise awareness on the need for more action in addressing hunger as part of the country’s commitment to the MDG of eradicating poverty and hunger. (APB/PIA-10)

DOST 10 PINOY complementary foods technology now available

By Jasper Marie Oblina-Rucat

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, July 19 (PIA) -- The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) PINOY (Package for the Improvement of Nutrition of Young Children) complementary foods technology is now available and can be adopted by private companies for massive production.

Provincial Director Cecilia Aca-ac of DOST Misamis Oriental said during the National Science and Technology week here that the PINOY technology if produced massively and become mainstream and visible in grocery stores and malls will really help in aiding malnutrition in the region and the country.

According to her, this technology produces complementary food blends and snack foods developed by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) particularly BIGMO: Rice-Mongo-Sesame ready to cook blend, BIGMO: Rice-Mongo Instant Blend and BIGMO Curls with cheese flavor.

The technology is simple and at the same time raw materials are locally available and sustainable, she added.

Cecilia said the goal is to reduce prevalence of under nutrition among the targeted underweight from 6 to 35 months old children.

At present, two universities in this city are locally producing complementary foods through PINOY technology particularly Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan and Mindanao University of Science and Technology.

For interested companies or for more details, you may write or call Regional Director Alfonso P. Alamban of DOST region 10 at 858-3931 up to 33 or visit your respective DOST provinces. (JMOR/PIA10)

Security Bank Foundation to donate P15M for 3 school buildings in CDO

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, July 19 -- The Security Bank Foundation, Inc. will make a P15-million donation for school building construction in three barangays of Cagayan de Oro.

A memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the project has been signed by Mayor Oscar S. Moreno and Security Bank branch manager Wilma C. Gomez.

The recipient schools are: South City Central School in barangay Nazareth; Cugman Elementary School; and Agusan Elementary School.

Gomez said the foundation pledged to construct four-classroom school building in each beneficiary school that costs P5 million. GTrends