In Barangay Carreta, Cebu City, a vision is taking shape: that children deserve better, that a healthier life is possible, and that a community can rewrite its story.
To help turn the vision into action, the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI), together with Barangay Carreta, launched Amumang Carreta, an initiative focused on strengthening health, nutrition, and family well-being for children aged 0–5.
Amumang Carreta delivers its services through two key projects: NutriSidlak and Health Connect. Together, these programs aim to ensure that every Carreta resident has the knowledge, access, and support needed to nourish their families and build a thriving future.
Amumang Carreta – Himsog nga Panglawas, Lig-on nga Komunidad
For years, Carreta has consistently ranked among Cebu City’s barangays with high cases of stunting, wasting, and underweight children. Limited health resources and the fact that only a little over half of children are covered by Operation Timbang have meant that many families suffer quietly. But this time, transformation can happen when a whole community moves with a shared purpose: healthier children and a stronger community.
At the heart of NutriSidlak is a supplemental feeding program designed to provide malnourished children with not just more food, but the right food given consistently over sustained periods. This is supported by home and backyard gardening initiatives that teach families how to grow vegetables in small spaces, making food security possible even in tight living conditions. Regular growth monitoring ensures that no child is overlooked. Nutrition education reaches families’ sitio by sitio, with a strong focus on mothers and caregivers.
During the pre-launch presentation, Hon. Rhodora Pyls, Barangay Nutrition Action Officer, emphasized the importance of education. “One of the most important things is really to cascade knowledge, to help parents understand nutrition and focus on their children.”
Health Connect the initiative’s second banner project responds to long-standing gaps in Carreta’s health services. Maternal and child health care programs are part of this effort, ensuring more holistic support for families. Through this program, Amumang Carreta aims to strengthen supply systems, and develop herbal and alternative medicine gardens that complement NutriSidlak’s food gardens.
RAFI envisions a future where every child in Cebu is happy, healthy, and ready to reach their full potential by age five. Through its advocacy for early childhood health and nutrition, RAFI partners with local government units and communities like Barangay Carreta to support what they are already striving for, the well-being of their children.
The launch of Amumang Carreta was made possible through the support of partners including the Cebu City Nutrition Office, Cebu City Health Department, Early Childhood Care and Development, Cebu City Nutrition Network, Bukas Palad Cebu Foundation, and KidsLife Foundation Inc. and other stakeholders. Together, they bring to life Amumang Carreta: Himsog nga Panglawas, Lig-on nga Komunidad, a shared commitment to improving outcomes for the children of Carreta.
The journey toward a healthier Carreta has begun, driven by the belief that children deserve better, and that transformation happens to one meal, one garden, one mother, and one child at a time.
