The implementation of the Early Childhood Care and Development ( ECCD) Program commenced upon the receipt of the funds transferred by the Council for the Welfare of Children ( CWC) to the Provincial Government of Bataan which happened May 25, 2007. But before the transfer of fund, the Provincial Early Childhood Care and Development Coordinating Committee ( PECCDCC) particularly its PECCDCC Officer Ms. Roselle Fernandez and the Municipal Early Childhood Care and Development Coordinating Committee ( MECCDCC) of the three recipient municipalities were busy preparing for each municipality’s program of activities for the 0 – 6 year old target population. PECCDCCO Ms. Fernandez lined up a series of trainings for the service providers. A Training of Trainors ( TOT) Eleven Day Basic Training on Integrated Management of Childhood Illness ( IMCI) was conducted on May 2 – 12, 2007 at Crown Royal Hotel in Balanga City, Bataan by personalities from the Center for Health Development III, headed by Dr. Gloria Punzalan. Other trainings are still being planned.
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Orion’s MECCDCC chaired by Honorable Antonio L. Raymundo Jr resolved that a similar training be given to the rest of the health staff involved in the ECCD program. This was facilitated by those who attended the TOT on the IMCI seminar led by Ms. Nelina B. Navarro, Nurse II , Ms. Lorena P. Mariano and Ms. Emily Montemayor, both Midwife II and Ms Jennifer T. Macalinao, Midwife I. This seminar was conducted every Fridays of June and July, 2007 at the Sangguniang Bayan ( SB) Session Hall for the lecture series and Orion Rural Health Unit ( RHU) for the practicum. The SB of Orion showed its support by allowing the use of the SB Session Hall and its facilities through – out the lecture series. Funding of the training came from local resources.
Another activity of the MECCDCC is the Nutrition Month Celebration this July. A motorcade around the municipality was held last July 9, 2007 participated in by parents and children of Day Care Centers, Day Care Workers, Social Workers and Health personnel, Lectures on Nutrition conducted in Barangays Balut, Wawa, Lati and Sto. Domingo in coordination with the Association of Municipal Health Officers of the Philippines ( AMHOP) was given to approximately to 300 parents with pre – school children. A cooking contest for elementary school parents from public schools and a vegetable eating relay contest of elementary school children will be held on July 27, 2007 at Wawa Covered Court to highlight the celebration of the Nutrition Month. Funding for this project remains a Local Initiative.
Establishment of the Orion Children’s Welfare Fund is also in the offing. Presently some of the MECCDCC members are in the process of developing a concept design for the cans that will be placed in the different establishments in Orion for the fund raising activity. The fund is intended to finance future projects and to continue programs started this year, because the CWC will only finance approved projects for 3 years (2007 – 2009). MECCDCC has also plans of entering the Municipality in a nationwide search for Child Friendly Municipality next year. We still have a long way to go but with the help of everyone, MECCDCC is hopeful that we can do it.
