Improved Nutritional Status of Malnourished Children . . We have reduced the malnutrition rate in the province by 17.25% by year’s end, from 38.78% in 2002 to 21.53% in 2003. This is primarily attributed to our sustained implementation of the supplemental and milks feeding programs, nutrition awareness, Vitamin A supplementation and other support projects in the areas of agriculture and infrastructure. 

4,000 pre-school children whose nutritional level belong to very low normal and below normal benefited from the supplemental feeding program, and a total of 1,587 malnourished children were the focus of attention under the milk-feeding program undertaken in cooperation with the Office of the Senate President Franklin Drilon and the National Dairy Authority.   Another 10,659 identified malnourished children were served by the program during the hatud serbisyo outreach missions in 31 barangays. The goal here is to eradicate malnutrition in the province.  A healthy well-being of children translates to improved performance in school.  

Socialized Hospital Services : program for indigent patients. . . Implemented since 2002, this initiative was efficiently designed to benefit deserving indigent patients from all over the province. In the last 2 years of its implementation, the program has assisted a total of 5,726 indigent-patients. Services extended include free hospitalization and laboratory services, and provision of free medicines, all combined cost us a total of P 27.359 million. 

Founded on social equity with special bias towards the disadvantaged members of our communities, the implementation of the program makes it imperative that financially stable patients pay for their access to government hospital services and facilities. The revenues generated partly subsidize the cost of services extended to indigent-patients as well as cover the cost of operations and maintenance of the hospital.

Assistance to Victims of Calamities and Lawless Elements . . .  We have also extended financial assistance to victims of calamities and lawless elements, among whom were the victims of fire that gutted Kalawit market, 43 victims of the MILF attack of Siocon, and the survivors and victims of Kalawit massacre.

Incentive to Day Care Workers . . . Provided of monetary and uniform incentives to deserving Day Care Workers.  

Provision of Day Care Centers . . . To facilitate the conduct of supplemental feeding, milk and mental feeding to pre-school-age children, we have assisted barangays in the construction and/or repair of day care centers. To date, the province has a total 547 operational day care centers. This includes the 135 day care centers we have either constructed or repaired in year 2003. Accredited day care centers are provided with ABC program materials like workbooks in science and mathematics designed for young beginners.

Promotion of integrated farming, where suitable, is a key goal of this administration, to increase farm productivity,  farmer’s income, and to address the concern on malnutrition.

Thus, we bring right at the farm level various farming technologies thru the Barangay Agriculture Extension  (BAGREX) program intended to enhance high-value crop production, inland fishing, livestock and poultry raising and the extension of support services.  Pilot barangays in 2003 include :

Continued provision of veterinary services benefited a total of 737 farmers and 1,388 swine raisers by year’s end. This resulted to the:

Provided increased access to technology livelihood trainings and support services, thru :

Supported GMA’s rice and corn programs thru the distribution of 4,742 bags of certified GMA rice seeds during the wet season and 1,747 bags during the dry season;  and a total of 4,649 bags of certified GMA corn.

One positive note last year was the declaration of Zamboanga del Norte as a new dairy zone in Mindanao by the National Dairy Authority. This means increased support to the development of the dairy industry in the province.