Abstract

Every school year, students of Butuan Central Elementary School from kindergarten to
Grade 6 are weighed to identify students who are malnourished. In order to meet one of the
Millenium Development Goals, which is the enhancement of health and education status of
children, these malnourished students are made to participate in the School-Based Feeding
Program.
For the feeding program, the assigned teachers of Butuan Central Elementary School
made use of nutritious ingredients that are found in the school garden. For school year 20132014, the identified children were served with meals that have malunggay as their main
ingredient. As regards the use of malunggay in the feeding program, this research seeks to
determine the degree of effectiveness of the use of malunngay in the feeding of malnourished
children of the school for school year 2013-2014. As a basis for this study, the weights before
and after the feeding of each malnourished student is compared and through the use of statistical
tool, the researcher determines whether there is a significant difference between the differences
of those weights.
This research is important especially because malnutrition is one of the problems that the
government seeks to eradicate. Malunggay is abundant in the Philippines and is easy to grow in
backyards because it is fast-growing and drought-resistant. If this research yields positive results,
the use of malunggay could be utilized as an important component to combat malnutrition
considering that its readily available in the locality. Furthermore, the research seeks not only to
find out the effectiveness of the use of malunggay but also of the feeding program of the school.
This will provide a venue for the implementers of the feeding program to evaluate their efforts
and formulate more effective means to eradicate the problem of malnutrition in the school.

THE PROBLEM AND REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Background of the Study
Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) and micronutrient deficiencies remain the leading
nutritional problems in the Philippines. The general declining trend in the prevalence of
underweight, wasting and stunting among Filipino children noted in the past 10 years was
countered with the increase in the prevalence rate in 1998. About 4 million (31.8%) of the
preschool population were found to be underweight-for-age, 3 million (19.8%) adolescents and 5
million (13.2%) adults, including older persons were found to be underweight and chronically
energy deficient, respectively.

The status of micronutrient malnutrition is likewise an important concern in the country. The
vitamin A status of the country is considered severe subclinical deficiency affecting children 6
months - 5 years (8.2%) and pregnant women (7.1%). Iron deficiency anemia is the most
alarming of the micronutrient deficiencies affecting a considerable proportion of infants (56.6%),
pregnant women (50.7%), lactating women (45.7%) and male older persons (49.1%). Prevalence
of IDD was mild (71mg/L). However, 35.8% children 6 12 years old still suffer from moderate
and severe IDD.Malunggay, also commonly known as moringa, drumstick tree, horseradish, ben
oil tree, or benzoil tree, is a popular plant known for nutritional value as well as a herbal
medicine. This plant grows best in tropical climates such as the Philippines, India and Africa. It
is widely used as vegetable ingredient in cooking, as herbal medicine for a number of illness and
other practical uses. The Malunggay plant can grow to as high as 9 meters with erect white

trunks. The compound leaf has about 3 to 9 leaflets. Malunggay has white fragrant flowers that
produces long pods with three-angled winged seeds.
Review of Related Literature
Statement of the Problem
This study seeks to determine the degree of effectiveness of using malunggay in the
feeding program of malnourished students of Butuan Central Elementary School for School Year
2013-2014.
Specifically, it seeks to answer the following questions:
1. What is the demographic profile of the respondents in terms of?
1.1 Age
1.2 Sex
2. What is the weight of the respondents?
2.1 Before the Feeding
2.2 After the Feeding
3. Is there a significant difference in the weights of the respondents before and after the feeding?
Significance of the Study
The following can be benefited from this study:
Department of Education Division of Butuan. The Department of Education, as the
branch of the government tasked with the implementation of programs to eliminate malnutrition,

will be provided with practical data that would be useful to evaluate the effectiveness of schoolbased feeding program and would help them in planning strategies to improve the implementation of
the program.
Malnourished Students of Butuan Central Elementary School. Being the principal
beneficiaries of the feeding program, this study will benefit the

Scope and Limitation of the Study

Definition of Terms