BUTO’T BALAT(Documentaries)

BUTO’T BALAT
I Witness
(by:Riz Soletario)


Host
Kara David

Cast
Angela Repato
19 yrs old daughter of Lina Repato

Lina Repato
Mother of Angela Repato

Jerymy

Aling Jenny Tangco

Mang Pitong Tangco

Salvacion Hansol



SYNOPSIS


In a country that boasts of rich natural resources, there's a shocking reality that still needs government and citizens’ attention. Kara David finds extreme cases of malnutrition and reveals its shocking extent in the country.
The Philippines ranks second to the African average in terms of malnutrition, and first in the Asia-Pacific region. United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) studies show 29% of African children are malnourished, while Filipino kids follow closely at 27%.
I-Witness finds one of the worst manifestations of this problem in a town in the Bicol region.
Mercedes is Bicol’s seafood capital. Each day, bountiful catch of fish arrives on its shores. Ironically, although blessed with rich marine resources, there are extreme cases of starvation among some locals.
Angela’s family relies on fishing for a living. If her father gets no catch, they would not have anything to eat. At 19 years old, Angela was reduced to skin and bones and was bed-ridden for more than three months. Soon after this documentary was made, the girl succumbed to death because of severe malnutrition.
According to surveys, with four in 10 children considered malnourished. Bicol has the worst case of malnutrition among the country’s regions. Not far from Angela’s house, one may indeed find some other kids who have suffered the same fate.
It pains Mang Ciriaco, a market stevedore, that abundant catch of expensive fish pass through his hands but he never gets the chance to actually serve them to his own children. Forhis work, he earns an average of 30 pesos a day — money that can hardly afford him to buy the sub-standard fish sold in the market at very cheap prices. Mang Ciriaco carries the heavy burden of feeding nine children.
The constant lack of decent meals has greatly manifested on his children. His six-year old son Joey weighs only that of a three-month old baby, while his 14-year old son Jeremy weighs only that of a two-year old boy. When examined by the local health workers, it was found out that Jeremy's lungs, due to severe malnutrition, struggles to use his lungs to breathe.
Kara David also encounters babies whose stomachs have never known milk, with their parents resorting to instead giving them coffee.
Malnutrition also exists among children in the National Capital Region. Instant noodles have become today’s poor man’s diet. Not only are these affordable to families, who only get by with 30 pesos a day, but it can also makes them feel full easily.
The estimate of five million Filipino children suffering from severe malnutrition proves to be largely alarming. Finding a long-term solution to the problem can never be realized if we refuse to acknowledge that this issue exists.
Dr. Cecilia Florencio of the University of the Philippines sums up what may become its repercussions: "Malnutrition can be passed on to generations. Right now, these kids are the only ones affected. But if your really think about it, these kids will be our future generation…and they are malnourished."

If you walk in any place within the manila territory you will see the Filipinos suffer from this kind of problem; Malnutrition. We cannot deny that malnutrition is one of the biggest problems of our country. It is difficult for us to fight this problem because we have a over population in our country. The government is not capable of financing all our needs in malnutrition because we have insufficient money to use. Why? First because of the corrupt government officials and malnutrition is not only the problem of our country especially today where our country is suffered from economic crisis.

The only way to regulate malnutrition is to discipline ourselves. A family must only have a 1 or 2 children. If the family having a lot of children they must stop bearing siblings because they will only suffer in the future if they will continue to bear siblings.



COMMENT

It’s true that nowadays, many children’s are suffer from malnutrition especially to those people who are in squatter areas. As I want the movie I’ am thinking what will happen to our country if all of us will suffer from such a problem like this. Since the people from squatter areas are lacking from financial aspect they divide their small amount of money in order to buy noodles or some other foods that can buy by their money in which a percent of nutrition can only get in that foods. And since they are over populated in their family they share their insufficient foods to reach their hunger. So in general malnutrition cause by poverty, over population in a family and lack employment because they don’t have a good work that will finance their expenses everyday.

This movie will awake the Filipinos in malnutrition problem. If they will think on it they will enlighten themselves on how to regulate this kind of situation. And those who suffer in this problem they must moderate having affairs or use contraceptives in order to stop bearing a lot of children.