The Navotas city government has formally launched the First 1,000 Days of Life Program (N1K) in conjunction with the opening of the National Women’s Month.
Under the leadership of Navotas Mayor John Rey Tiangco, the city government also passed City Ordinance 2018-02, the first in the country regarding the N1K program.
First 1,000 Days of Life refers to the time a baby is conceived until he or she turns two years old. It is considered as a “golden window of opportunity” because at this stage, the mother’s proper nutrition contributes a great factor and effect on the physical and mental health of the child is great.
“We wish that from the beginning, every Navoteño will be able to deliver his needs to grow healthy and reach his potential,” Tiangco said.
Through N1K, pre-natal services are free as regular checkups and birth plans and postpartum services such as immunization and feeding, if the child is undernourished.
It also affirms the service delivery network between city government, barangays, health institutions, and partner organizations like Save the Children to promote the overall well-being of the Navoteño families.
“N1K is also considered a poverty mitigation program. In ensuring the first 1,000 days of a child, we can avoid the effects of malnutrition on a family: the constant illness of the child and the incidence of growth that adds to the cost of the family,” added Tiangco.
“Through our enacted service delivery network, we will meet the needs of families and promote their well-being in the physical, social, psychological and economic aspects,” he said.