Cebu Mothers Find Support in Bell-Kenz, PHINMA First 1,000 Days Program

CEBU, PHILIPPINES– In Sitio Riverside in Barangay Tejero, families always stick together through thick and thin. For Mara Gie Talledo, 31, the nutrition and wellness of her children shall always be the first priority, especially with a newborn child, Patricia Lyn.

Three months ago, baby Patricia did not have full cheeks, but now that she’s nearing her  birthday on October 21, she is noticeably healthy and glowing as Mara Gie feeds her three times a day with nutritious meals such as rice porridge, fruits, and vegetables.

Majority of Mara Gie’s nutritional state is attributed to Bell Kenz Foundation Inc. (BKFI) and PHINMA Education’s First 1000 Days (F1KD) Maternal and Early Childhood Health Care Program, wherein Mara is one of its ten mother-beneficiaries.

The program aims to address malnutrition and stunting by assisting disadvantaged mothers from pregnancy until their children reach two years old. Its activities combine regular healthcare with food assistance, breastfeeding counseling, and lessons on infant care and parenting.

It was aligned with the national F1KD framework, a government-led initiative, which focuses on the most crucial window of a child’s development — from conception to their second birthday. The first 1,000 days are vital for establishing a strong foundation for a child’s lifelong health, physical growth, brain development, and overall well-being. 

For the mothers, the F1KD Program meant having support through different stages of pregnancy. Each of these mothers were visited six to eight times during the prenatal stage. They were also afforded services including ultrasound and laboratory tests, iron and folic acid supplementation, and follow-up through home visits.

A Step-by-Step Look at the F1KD Program

To be identified as one of its beneficiaries, Mara Gie had gone through a series of evaluations wherein PHINMA Education volunteers will ask the Barangays and barangay health workers the indigent pregnant mothers in their first trimester. They will then visit these pregnant mothers for an interview.

Once the interviews are conducted, the program will select beneficiaries based on a criteria .

The mother-beneficiaries began their supplemental feeding on June 23 of last year, with distribution scheduled from Monday to Friday. The program also provided 390 nutritious meals, alongside a monthly box of milk for pregnant beneficiaries.

Aside from food, their families also received baby supplies, including clothing, diapers, hygiene items, and breastfeeding kits to support their children’s needs for its development stage.

By the end of the reporting periods, all ten mothers had delivered in health facilities with their babies weighing between 2.5 kilograms and 3.4 kilograms and no reported low-birth-weight cases. 

Then by December, all ten infant beneficiaries had growth indicators classified as normal and had shown steady weight gain since birth. Patricia Lyn’s weight increased from 2.52 kilograms at birth in October to 4.5 kilograms by end of the year

Figure 1: Weight progress of baby-beneficiaries from their birth until December of last year.

Breastfeeding support continued after delivery. Nine mothers reported practicing exclusive breastfeeding during monitoring, while one used mixed feeding because her work in the BPO sector limited opportunities for direct breastfeeding.

Beyond individual care, the initiative also brought maternal and child health education into the community. Four community classes reached 112 community members, with 191 students helping implement activities on nutrition, affordable healthy food, and positive parenting.

One Wish

Mara Gie said Patricia Lyn will be her last child, as she already had implanted to prevent another livebirth. 

Now that Patricia Lyn is nearing her first birthday, Mara Gie only has one wish for all her children: for them to finish their education and live their best lives.