Philstar.com
October 21, 2024 | 9:30am
MANILA, Philippines — Children, as the well-worn phrase goes, are the future of our nation. But what does that future hold if their fundamental rights and needs—the building blocks of their development—are lacking?
With this urgent question in mind, Erceflora Probiotics formed a partnership with Save the Children Philippines to launch the Batang Matatag Campaign.
Many Filipino children face health challenges due to the lack of access to clean water and proper WASH and hygiene facilities. Driven by a vision of a brighter future for every Filipino child, the campaign strives to improve their lives today and empower them to become stronger, more resilient kids of tomorrow through gut health and hygiene education, giving them the foundation they need to thrive and reach their full potential.
For the past two years, Batang Matatag has been dedicated to achieving these goals, but the work is far from over. To further amplify its impact and build on what’s already been accomplished, the movement welcomed the Manila Water Foundation as a new partner.
Sharing a commitment to better lives and resilient communities, this partnership with the Manila Water Foundation will help increase access to handwashing stations and water pumps in schools and communities across the country.
This initiative will not only improve sanitation but also deliver crucial hygiene education sessions, encouraging children to build good hygiene habits that will benefit them for a lifetime.
‘Investing in our children’s gut health and hygiene is investing in our future. The Batang Matatag Campaign calls on all of us to play a part in building a healthier, stronger Philippines where every child has the chance to reach their full potential,” Rica Mae Mateo from Erceflora Probiotics, shared.
Growing stronger, reaching further
Deeply concerned by the rise of childhood mortality due to diarrhea in the Philippines, Erceflora Probiotics and Save the Children Philippines launched the Batang Matatag Campaign to combat this preventable illness.
Focusing on vulnerable areas like BARMM, the campaign empowers communities to protect children’s health by providing access to clean water and education on proper hygiene.
Within a year of its launch in 2022, Batang Matatag reached over 19,477 individuals in BARMM communities and schools. The campaign trained over 1,000 adolescents in essential life skills, educated 500 residents on child health and nutrition, and achieved a remarkable 100% improvement in health levels within the communities it served.
Building on this success, Batang Matatag expanded its reach to the Rizal province in Luzon this year, bringing its impactful programs to a wider audience. This expansion has already yielded impressive results, including conducting four hygiene promotion sessions and WASH caravans, and 12 nutrition promotion sessions.
The campaign provided 2,500 hygiene kits for students, as well as Brigada Eskwela cleaning kits for 126 schools in Rizal and BARMM. These efforts have ultimately benefitted 24,812 individuals in the province.
Through Batang Matatag, these communities also benefited from newly constructed water pumps and handwashing stations. These efforts have ultimately benefitted 65,007 individuals in the provinces.
Furthermore, recognizing the importance of comprehensive health education, Batang Matatag has initiated educating school clinicians and nurses in 68 public schools in Antipolo about the role of probiotics and effective diarrhea management among school children.
“We are incredibly proud of Batang Matatag’s impact in its first year, and thrilled to expand our reach to Luzon. With the support of our partners and communities, we are committed to continuing this vital work and ensuring that every Filipino child has the opportunity to grow up healthy and strong,” Mateo added.
Be a gut hero!
Batang Matatag’s continued growth relies on the support of every member of the community. To sustain momentum and reach more communities, Erceflora encourages everyone to join the movement.
Every Erceflora Probiotics purchase directly contributes to Batang Matatag’s mission, empowering them to provide essential resources and education for a healthier future for Filipino children.
Erceflora Probiotics has four-strain combination of Bacillus clausii spores that help enhance the body’s natural resistance to intestinal infections. It has also relaunched with two new variants Erceflora Gut Defense for regular support to enhance intestinal ecology and Erceflora Gut Restore which helps enhance the body’s natural resistance to gut infections when symptoms arise.
“Empowering Filipino children starts at home. By prioritizing their gut health, not only do you equip them with the strength to fight off diseases and thrive, but also extend that care to less fortunate communities in different parts of the nation. Every child deserves the resources to grow and develop, and we all have a role to play in making that happen,” Mateo concluded.
With every purchase of Erceflora Probiotics, a portion of the sale will be donated to the #BatangMatatag Campaign to help build more WASH facilities and create more hygiene education programs for vulnerable communities and partner schools in the country.
You can purchase a box of Erceflora in your nearest drug store or pharmacy, or online through the Sanofi Official Store. For more information, visit the Erceflora website here.
Mahalagang Paalala: Ang Erceflora Gut Defense at Erceflora Gut Restore ay hindi gamot at hindi dapat gamiting panggamot sa anumang uri ng sakit.
MAT-PH-2400901 / Ver 1.0 / DA 10-2024 / DM 10-2024
Editor’s Note: This press release is sponsored by Erceflora. It is published by the Advertising Content Team that is independent from our Editorial Newsroom.
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