‘Roots to Shoots’ addresses malnutrition
PILIPINAS Shell Foundation Inc. (PSFI) has claimed success for its Roots to Shoots (RTS) Program, which aimed to address malnutrition in targeted communities.
PSFI, the social arm of Shell companies in the Philippines, reported that the pilot program’s Mother and Child Care Component reduced stunting in children in Bombon and Pasacao in Camarines Sur, from 32.90 percent to 25.45 percent, and 31.90 percent to 21.33 percent, respectively. Camarines Sur has the highest prevalence of stunting in the Bicol Region. In Bombon and Pasacao, 20 percent of children under 5 years old are stunted, meaning they are too short for their age.
The RTS program’s Food Security and Livelihood Component has also achieved significant successes, including increased availability of food and economic access for mothers, caregivers and farmers. Barangay (villages) have also benefited from enhanced food production, while farmer organizations have created employment opportunities in both infarm and off-farm enterprises. These outcomes demonstrate the program’s effectiveness in promoting sustainable development.
To sustain the program, PSFI handed it to the local government units of Bombon and Pasacao in Camarines Sur.
Cesar Buenaventura, PSFI chairman, underscored the importance of agriculture and food security for Shell Philippines. “Our training farm has benefited many farmers. Together you’ve successfully reduced malnutrition and improved sanitation and health — with very tangible results,” he said.
“As we turn this program to the community, we wish you all the best in continuing what we have been able to start,” Buenaventura said.
Rommel Fuerte, national director of World Vision Development Foundation, commended the program’s holistic approach to mother-child issues, food security, water access and sanitation:
“It is a good model that can be replicated in other places. It’s really a powerhouse; our community volunteers were excited [to tell] their stories, and I’m really looking forward that this excitement will be sustained even beyond the life of the project,” Fuerte said.
Another component of the RTS program is the Water Access, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) that constructed water systems and sanitation facilities, and trained community members on proper hygiene and sanitation, which has led to improved sanitation conditions for families with undernourished children in the targeted communities.
Reginald Andal, executive director of Manila Water Foundation, said water access is an important component of the RTS program.
“We learned that when it comes to solving malnutrition, water access, sanitation and hygiene play a critical role” and “are drivers of desired behaviors,” Andal said.
The WASH component also strengthened the Bombon Water District (Bowadi), the local water utility in Bombon, by improving water system infrastructure and enhancing the technical capacities of the Bowadi personnel.
Shell Pilipinas’ social arm has actively engaged in diverse community programs, collaborating with prominent initiatives such as the National Nutrition Council’s Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition and Scaling Up Nutrition global movement. Through these engagements, it continues to make a tangible difference in addressing critical social issues and fostering positive change within communities.