Roll-out of CFP to launch in Apayao

Pertinent to the Cordillera Month Celebration, the roll-out of Complementary Food

Production (CFP) in the region, jointly concieved by Apayao State College (ASC), Food and

Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-

CAR), will be launched on July ___ 2015 at San Gregorio, Luna, Apayao.

The CFP in the region is one of the five (5) DOST awardees in a research partnership with

FNRI-DOST-CAR represented by ASC as its project recipient and partner technology

adoptor.

The nationwide project is amounting to P 26, 934,772.00; for Apayao there is a total of P9.6

M funded by DOSTP5 Min a form of Capital Outlay and MOOE counter-parted by

ASCP4.6 M obtained from the P2.6 B rechanneled PDAF of the National Government to

SUCs.

Within the framework of the project, it is articulated that malnutrition remains the national

priority of the government. The FNRIs 2011 updating data show that the percentage of

malnourished children is 20.2 % against the target 13.6 % by 2015.

In order to achieve the MDG target of having the proportion of underweight 2015 from 1990

to 2011, the prevalence should be reduced by 6.6 % in 2015 with an average annual reduction

of 1.65% from 2011.

The FNRI-DOST developed three (3) food products namely rice-mongo curls, rice-mongo

baby food blend, and rice-mongo-sesame baby food blend.

In 2011, the said institution conducted the field testing of DOST PINOY using the

complementary food technologies in the provinces of Antique, Occidental Mindoro, Leyte

and Iloilo to a total of 1, 006 children. Results showed a significant decrease in the
prevalence of underweight children in the intervention group from 96.7% to 82.1% compared

to the non-intervention group from 100% to 94.9% and not significant.

The project primarily involves roll-out for the commercialization of the three complementary

food products in five regions initially namely CAR, IVB, IX, XII and CARAGA.

The Complementary food production plant in Apayao is expected to annually produce three

(3) FNRI developed complementary food technologies such as rice-mongo curls/blend (19.6

M packs @ 30g/pack), rice-mongo-sesame instant baby food blend and rice-mongo-sesame

baby food blend (3.4 M packs @30g/pack) envisioned to improve the nutritional status of

children of the municipality of Luna, in the province and neighboring communities.

Hence it required participation and support of the different agencies such DSWD, DepEd,

NNC of the DOH, LGUs, PGUs and other private agencies who ought to take part in the roll

out CFP especially in marketing of the products and to its distribution within identified areas

of high prevalence of malnutrition.

DOST-CAR is the lead agency serving as the project leader of the project while PCIEERD is

the monitoring council.

The project shall be implemented through a collaborative effort among DOST Regions,

DOST-FNRI and technology adoptor, the latter being the SUC or an LGU.

The technology adoptor, which is ASC as an SUC in CAR, provided the building, personnel

and operating expenses to complement the S&T intervention related equipment which is the

counterpart of the DOST.

DOST-FNRI spearheaded the transfer of the technologies including the plant lay-out and

technology training which was conducted, prior to the said launching, last June 23 to 24 at

Payanan, Luna to facilitate the technology adoption and commercialization of the FNRI-
developed complementary food technologies to be rolled-out from the facility erected within

the 250 sq.m. land area donated by LGU-Luna.

The agreement was ratified through a MOA last Dec. 31, 2014.

Within the MOA, FNRI acknowledges this as a strategy to combat malnutrition problems of

the country; hence, collaborated with DOST for the promotion, support, transfer and

commercialization to improve the quality of life of the people through food-based livelihood

intervention.

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______________________________, said DOST-CAR Regional Director Julius Caesar V.

Sicat.

Sharing common vision, ASC President Nieves A. Dacyon said that

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The project will certainly enhance the R&D capacity if its agriculture program as it requires

production of tons of rice and mongo as raw materials, said Leilani A. Parugrug, the project

coordinator.

We foresee it as a laboratory and training facility to support the production function of the

college, she added.

But only through maintenance, proper handling of the equipment and support that this CFP

be sustained, said Engr. _____________________ of FNRI in a radio interview.