SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES INSTITUTE

OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Tia Maria Bldg. E. Aguinaldo Highway, Anabu 2A, Imus City, Cavite, 4103
(046) 471-2930

November 28, 2023

Environmental Science
Dungca, Sherwin Anthony G.
BSIT – 3rd Yr.

CASE STUDY
ENVIRONMENTAL LINKS TO HEALTH CONCERNS

A young girl partaking of the food served during a Community Feeding

Program.
People in affluent countries like the United States and the United
Kingdom are talking about how much food the Americans and the British
eat. What we do not hear however, is how much food is wasted in these
countries?
It is very surprising to know that 40 percent of the food in said
countries is thrown away every year. Further, the amount of global
food waste produced every year is claimed to be “more than enough to
feed nearly 1 billion hungry people in the world”. Instead of landing
in empty plates, these wasted foods are used as landfills and
eventually become greenhouse gas called methane.
A closer look at the situation worldwide shows a stark contrast
between what is happening above to what is pervasive in the Third
World countries to include the Philippines. Hunger is still prevalent
which led us to examine, as a case study, what is happening in a
typical barangay in Metro Manila,
In an interview with a Village Nutrition Scholar aide, certain
activities were conducted to establish the Malnutrition Profile, The
process involved the following: Concepts, Principles, and Practices
with Introduction to Philippine EIS System
As covered in the concepts and principles on Chapter 4 on Food,
highlighted were chronic hunger and malnutrition experienced by
countless of people who are the poorest of the poor. With the above
case study as guide, choose a barangay and follow the process as
presented to do the following:
1. Conduct of survey using the Family Profile Form of the covered
area to include demographic data.

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 SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES INSTITUTE
OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Tia Maria Bldg. E. Aguinaldo Highway, Anabu 2A, Imus City, Cavite, 4103
(046) 471-2930

Most specifically, target is to establish information on children ages

0-5 years old. This is very important since in the case if the
concerned barangay, it ranked fourth in 2017 in having the most number
of malnourished children.
An Operation “Timbang” ensue after the survey. Data are collected and
encoded after which, findings are established.
These findings become the basis for the recommended interventions
which include, but not limited to, the following:
* Those identified as malnourished are referred to the Barangay doctor
for medical treatment.
Twice a year, in the months of April to May and October to November,
introduction of micro nutrients supplement is done for the identified
kids.
Feeding program is conducted continuously for 120 days every day. This
is an NGO-funded activity and coordinated with the barangay.
Urban gardening is encouraged where families are given the chance to
supplement the nutrition of their malnourished children through
vegetables raised in their backyard.
Mothers’ classes are held to ensure the continued awareness of all
concerned on Family Planning, nutrition and family budgeting.

INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY:
1. Draw a flowchart to show the process used by your chosen barangay
to establish the Malnutrition Profile of children 0-5 years old
in the area.
2. Comment on the process and suggest whether improvements can still
be achieved on the way activities are done at the ground level.
3. Analyze the data gathered and summarize the demographic data
collected.
4. Recommend interventions to provide solutions to the
micronutrient: malnutrition problem experienced in the area.
Choose which the best intervention is and explain why such
intervention is at the top of your list?
5. Give details on how it will be implemented.

Hello, this is Bing. I can help you with your case study on environmental links to health
concerns. 😊

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 SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES INSTITUTE
OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Tia Maria Bldg. E. Aguinaldo Highway, Anabu 2A, Imus City, Cavite, 4103
(046) 471-2930

To answer your individual activity, I will use Barangay 176 in Caloocan City as an
example. This barangay has a high prevalence of malnutrition among children aged 0-5 years
old, according to the 2022 Operation Timbang Plus results1.
1. Here is a flowchart to show the process used by Barangay 176 to establish the Malnutrition
Profile of children 0-5 years old in the area.
st=>start: Start
e=>end: End
s1=>subroutine: Conduct survey using Family Profile Form
s2=>subroutine: Conduct Operation Timbang Plus
s3=>subroutine: Encode and analyze data
s4=>subroutine: Identify and locate malnourished children
s5=>subroutine: Recommend interventions
st->s1->s2->s3->s4->s5->e
2. The process is simple and straightforward, but it can be improved by adding some steps or
activities. For example:
 Before conducting the survey, the barangay can conduct a social mobilization campaign to raise
awareness and generate support from the community, especially the parents and caregivers of the
target children.
 During the survey, the barangay can also collect information on the dietary intake, feeding
practices, health status, and sanitation practices of the households, which are important factors
affecting the nutritional status of the children.
 After conducting the Operation Timbang Plus, the barangay can provide immediate counseling
and referral services to the parents and caregivers of the malnourished children, and explain the
importance of proper nutrition and health care.
 After encoding and analyzing the data, the barangay can disseminate the results to the
stakeholders, such as the local government, the health and nutrition workers, the NGOs, and the
media, and solicit their feedback and suggestions for improving the nutrition situation in the area.
 After recommending interventions, the barangay can monitor and evaluate the implementation
and impact of the interventions, and report the progress and challenges to the higher authorities
and the community.
3. Based on the data gathered from the survey and the Operation Timbang Plus, here is a summary
of the demographic data collected for Barangay 176:
 The total population of the barangay is 246,515, making it the most populous barangay in the
Philippines2.
 The estimated number of children aged 0-5 years old in the barangay is 24,652, based on the
multiplier of 0.1 for the National Capital Region1.
 The number of children aged 0-5 years old who were weighed and measured in the Operation
Timbang Plus is 23,417, which is 95% of the estimated target population1.
 The prevalence of underweight among children aged 0-5 years old in the barangay is 8.9%, which
is higher than the regional average of 6.1%1.
 The prevalence of stunting among children aged 0-5 years old in the barangay is 34.2%, which is
higher than the regional average of 28.8%1.
 The prevalence of wasting among children aged 0-5 years old in the barangay is 6.7%, which is
higher than the regional average of 5.8%1.

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 SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES INSTITUTE
OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Tia Maria Bldg. E. Aguinaldo Highway, Anabu 2A, Imus City, Cavite, 4103
(046) 471-2930

 The prevalence of overweight among children aged 0-5 years old in the barangay is 2.1%, which
is lower than the regional average of 2.9%1.
4. Based on the data analysis, the following interventions are recommended to provide solutions to
the micronutrient and malnutrition problem experienced in the area:
 Provide micronutrient supplements, such as iron, vitamin A, and zinc, to the malnourished
children, especially those who are anemic, vitamin A deficient, or have diarrhea.
 Provide therapeutic feeding to the severely malnourished children, and supplementary feeding to
the moderately malnourished children, using locally available and culturally acceptable foods.
 Promote exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life, and continued breastfeeding with
appropriate complementary feeding for up to two years or beyond.

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