22/11/2025
Health Worker's Dedication for Malnourished Kids in Bangas
In 2024, Liza Andres, a newly hired nurse assigned to Banggas Health Progam Team (HPT), faced a daunting reality: a troubling number of malnourished children in her catchment area, coupled with a chronic shortage of essential commodities such as ready-to-use therapeutic foods (RUTF), RUSF, and micronutrient powders (MNP). Her assignment began with a heavy heart as she witnessed the toll of malnutrition on the youngest in her community.
From the outset, Andres sought to bridge daunting gaps. She and the head of unit Sir. Rudimar Sabtula, RN, along with the nutrition focal person Sir Almudar Mujir, RN, attempted to link with other line agencies to secure support and resources. But these efforts, difficult as they were, did not yield the needed commodities. Undeterred, she turned to a more personal approach: she began a Targeted Supplementary Feeding Program (TSFP) out of her own pocket.
Andres wears multiple hats: she owns a stall in the wet market in Jolo, selling vegetables, meat, and other necessities. It is from this backdrop that she mobilized and extended her help to malnourished children. On days when cooking sessions could not take place, she did not turn away those in need. Instead, she provided raw foods—enough to feed not just that child, but often their entire family. RHU kitchen became a community hub where health staff and Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) collaborated to prepare meals. A notable challenge emerged from the local dietary customs: Tausug and Badjao communities, for example, generally favor fish over meat, which required careful planning to ensure meals were both culturally acceptable and nutritionally adequate. Despite these nuances, Andres persisted, cooking chicken and fish in manageable batches so that the children could receive nourishment without compromising cultural preferences.
The program’s reach extended to those most in need of treatment. In their early months, MAM (Moderate Acute Malnutrition) and SAM (Severe Acute Malnutrition) patients—amounting to 30 children in total—began the journey toward recovery. By the time the team could secure some commodities, they had already enrolled these children in a broader feeding plan that continued alongside the ongoing PIMAM (Program for Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition) activities. Of the children enrolled, 16 successfully completed treatment, with half of the group characterized by high mobility—children who often moved between homes or districts, complicating follow-up and consistent care. The program started in February and stretched across roughly six months, a period during which the arrival of commodities intermittently supported the team’s efforts.
Beyond medical treatment, Andres also recognized the importance of motivation and recognition. After the children graduated from the program and showed clear signs of recovery, she distributed tokens to both the graduates and the BHWs who played a pivotal role in implementing the interventions. Each BHW also had a child assigned under their responsibility, underscoring a personal commitment to nurturing the health of families in their networks. In this way, the act of healing extended beyond a single child to the broader circle of caregivers and local volunteers who shared in the mission.
The path was not smooth. The persistent gaps—delayed or unavailable commodities and the lack of formal linkage to other agencies—threatened to derail progress. Yet these obstacles did not deter Andres from continuing her work. She repeatedly invested her own resources to ensure that children received nourishment, a testament to the adage that frontline health workers often pay out of pocket to fulfill their duties when systems fall short. Her dedication, described by colleagues as extraordinary, points to a compassionate resilience that goes well beyond standard expectations.
Today, the impact of Andres’s work continues to echo in the community. Her relentless spirit illustrates what dedication looks like on the frontlines—where one health worker's determination can sustain lifesaving interventions even amid scarcity. The IPHO Sulu Nutrition Section has publicly acknowledged her efforts, recognizing her as a beacon of commitment and care for malnourished children in Banggas.💚
Andres’s story is more than a personal narrative; it reflects a broader truth about health work in hard-hit communities. When commodities are scarce and interagency collaboration is slow to materialize, the courage to act—often with limited resources—becomes the lifeline for vulnerable children. Her example serves as an inspiring reminder of the heart that many health workers bring to their essential, frontline duties: a heart that nourishes not only bodies but also hope, perseverance, and trust within the communities they serve.
💚💚💚
