In Bicol, extreme weather conditions put children at risk of malnutrition  

LEGAZPI CITY —Days after Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (international name: Trami) hit the Bicol region on Oct. 21, Lara Yason, 22, and her family made do with the canned goods and noodles they brought back home from an evacuation center.  

Despite being used to the flood and storm surges experience in their village Pigcale, the displacement has become especially difficult for her son, who was born with a weakened immune system.  

Her son, who will turn two this month, weighs only 9 kilograms, which is below the average weight of 10 to 11 kilograms. He needs proper nourishment and careful attention to his well-being.

When he was born, he weighed just 2.2 kilograms, but Yason was hopeful he would gain weight. His weak immune system has led to frequent illnesses.

In the evacuation centers where the family has to flee when extreme weather arrives, the food they receive is not enough for her son’s special health needs. 

“Inside the evacuation center, we just rely on rations, usually canned goods and easy-to-cook food, and at times, we are given porridge and bread. We had no choice but to eat whatever food is available, and my baby eats the same,” she told Bicoldotph.  

As a single mother, Yason mainly relies on her parents as she is still finishing high school in an alternative learning setup at a public school. But the unpredictable weather patterns and frequent storms usually affect her father’s work as a cement porter at a local port in the neighboring village, which has worsened the family’s already difficult financial situation. 

The family was evacuated more than five times this year due to extreme weather disturbances.  

Barely a month after Kristine flooded Legazpi City and left it waist-deep under water, over 137,000 residents were again evacuated due to the threat of another super typhoon, Pepito (international name: Man-yi). 

The eye of that storm hit the island province of Catanduanes on Nov. 16, but heavy rains were also felt in Albay province.  

Due to climate change, the frequency of these extreme weather events is increasing.  

Ruth Pacalla, weather specialist of Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) in Legazpi City, said that the Bicol Region is often hit by typhoons due to its geographical location, which faces the Pacific Ocean.  

“The warmer the ocean, the stronger typhoons can form. So, the higher the increase in surface temperature, especially that we are facing the central equatorial eastern Pacific, where most low-pressure areas and typhoons develop, the stronger they will be,” Pacalla said.   

According to Pagasa, of the average 20 tropical cyclones entering the Philippines, about eight to nine cross the country each year. 

Vulnerable families  

This year in Pigcale, about seven children under 5 years old were identified as malnourished. They are mostly from poor families living along the coastline in Zones 3 and 4.  

Teresita Dayto, a village health worker, said some of these families live in makeshift houses and are often asked to evacuate due to threats of flooding, storm surges, and strong winds. She noted that most of the families in the area lack stable livelihoods and rely heavily on work at the local pier to make ends meet. 

“Most of these malnourished kids are from poor families, and due to a lack of food, their parents cannot provide them with the right balance of nutrients in their diet,” Dayto said. 

The National Nutrition Council (NNC) Bicol measures the height and weight of children under 5 years old to monitor their nutritional status through their “Operation Timbang.”

According to NNC Bicol’s 2024 report, the provinces of Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, and Masbate have the highest prevalence of malnutrition among children below 5 years old.

The highest rates were in Catanduanes province, with 13.82 percent suffering from stunting, 6.85 percent were underweight, 1.74 percent suffered from wasting, and 2.45 percent overweight.  

Ripple effects  

Arlene Reario, nutrition program coordinator of the NNC Bicol, said emergency situations like typhoons and other extreme weather conditions fueled by climate change may cause long-term impacts on children, as it creates a ripple effect that impacts economic situations of families. 

After every typhoon, families prioritize fixing their houses while struggling to return to their work or source of livelihood. 

“For a certain period, economic activity will stop. Just imagine the difficulty [faced by] those relying on daily earnings without savings.  Although in our culture, every family prioritizes food for their kids, they will notice the limited supply and will eventually rely on relief goods, putting food security at risk,” Reario said. 

Reario said that even if the delivery of services is disrupted for a short period, effects to children would be long-term, and the condition of those in borderline or malnourished will worsen. Lack of proper nutrition affects not only their health condition but also their cognitive development, which will later reflect on their performance as adults.  

The first 1,000 days of a child’s life are crucial as it lays the foundation for the child’s future health, growth, and cognitive development.  

“Especially for the stunted, it’s not just cognitive abilities that are affected; even the child’s emotions later in life, their decision-making and even simple tasks like memorization are affected,” Reario added. 

Interventions  

Yason hopes that her son will recover from malnutrition and his immune system will improve after four months of feeding through a program that provides children with meals based on “Pinggang Pinoy” recipes. It is part of the Malnutrition Reduction Program of the Department of Science and Technology – Food and Nutrition Research Institute. 

After its implementation in the first week of December, the health workers and nutrition scholars based in the village will again conduct weight measurements to check whether the children’s condition has improved.  

Reario said the health workers also check the mid-upper arm circumference of the children, a measurement to quickly determine if an individual is acutely malnourished.  

Those who are malnourished are given ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF), a micronutrient paste made with peanuts, sugar, milk powder, oil, vitamins and minerals packed in a sachet that helps treat children with low weight-height status.   

She said each RUTF sachet has 500 calories and micronutrients with high nutritional value which helps malnourished children to gain weight quickly. 


This story was produced through the “Covering Climate: Qualifying Environmental Journalists in the Philippines” project, financed by the German Embassy Manila and implemented by Deutsche Welle Akademie. 

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