ASC-complementary food products, now commercially

produced
By Leilani A. Parugrug
The Complementary Food Products processed in its facility in
Payanan, San Gregorio, Luna, Apayao, is now supplying the needs of the
Rural Health Unit of Luna, Apayao for their feeding program with their
feeding program project with DOST-PINOY since January 18, 2016, in
commercial scale.
Initial roll-out with the 1st barangays and municipalities who are
consuming the product are expressing good feedback.
To date, the CFP Facility has started producing rice-mongo sesame
blend, rice-mongo blend, and rice-mongo curls. The first two products are
intended for children 0-36 months of age while the rice mongo curls is for
one (1) year old upwards and adults.
The facility at present has the following manpower resources: Ms
Brendalyn Fernando, the production supervisor; Mr. Romy Rigates, the CFP
In-charge for equipment operations; Ms Leilani Parugrug, the CFP Incharge for R & D.
Last May 16-22, 2016, the CFP team hired a machine operator
through Mr. Elizer Aguite who assisted Mr. Rigates and Ms Parugrug
together with the students enrolled for their OJT under the Bachelor in
Technical Teacher Education curriculum.
ASC, as the project implementer and adoptor of the technology in Luzon
and is required to roll-out the three complementary food products to work
alongside with four other recipients nationwide. Other recipients of the
project include Brookeside Kitchen Operator in Palawan; Surigao del Norte;
Zamboanga, Sibugay; and Sultan Kudarat State University in Sultan
Kudarat province.
The provision of safe and affordable complementary foods
nationwide is expected to lower the incidence of malnutrition in the
country.
Dr. Nieves A. Dacyon, the College President spearheaded the
establishment of the facility and sought the assistance of the Commission
on Higher Education (CHED) to finance the construction of the building,
the Municipal LGU and provincial LGU for the land and engineering works.
The CFP is a convergence project of the Department of Science and
Technology and the Apayao State College and the Provincial LGU of
Apayao. DOST provided for the equipment and technology, ASC is incharge of the building, production and roll-out as the adoptor of the
project while the provincial LGU and municipal LGU provided the land,

engineering assistance and financial support. The implementation of the

said project is under the supervision of DOST-CAR and the Food and
Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI).
This project generally aims to roll-out the three FNRI developed
complementary food technologies in the regions. Specifically, it aims to:
introduce affordable and nutritious complementary foods (instant baby
food and snack food) using rice blended with mongo and/or sesame by
providing the appropriate technologies; facilitate the technology adoption
and commercialization of three FNRI-developed complementary food
technologies namely rice-mongo curls, rice-mongo instant baby food
blend, and rice-mongo-sesame baby food blend especially in areas where
technology is not widely available; and to strengthen the partnership of
DOST, LGUs private sector and other institutions in the implementation of
the project in five (5) regions.
Meanwhile, Complementary Foods are non-breast milk foods or
nutritive liquids that are given to young children that are readily
consumed and digested by the young child. This provides additional
nutrition to meet all the growing child's needs.