NNC HOPES KNOWLEDGE CHANNEL’S I LOVE YOU 1000 BECOMES TRENDING SHOW
National Nutrition Council (NNC) executive director and assistant secretary Azucena Dayanghirang hopes that the new educational sitcom, I Love You 1000: Batang #Laking1000, will not only help young parents provide the best care for their children, but will also be much talked about on social media similar to ABS-CBN’s hit revenge drama series nowadays.
“We hope that this show is one of the TV programs na tatatak sa lahat ng pamilya in this generation and generation to come. I want I Love You (ILY) 1000 to be trending like Dirty Linen,” said Dayanghirang at the media launch of the latest collaboration between NNC, the Department of Health, and Knowledge Channel Foundation, Inc.
ILY 1000 is a 16-episode series that seeks to educate Filipino parents and caregivers about giving proper nutrition to children. Kapamilya stars Majoy Apostol and Marlo Mortel were chosen for their credibility in portraying a newlywed couple navigating their path towards parenthood while consulting with experts on health, nutrition, early learning, and child protection in the context of the child’s first 1,000 days of life.
“I am very grateful to be part of this project. It was a challenging project and very different from the other shows I did before. Sobra kaming enjoy dito kahit sobrang daming kailangan aralin dito,” shared Majoy.
“It’s the first time Knowledge Channel is doing a sitcom. It is a game-changer than can change people’s lives. I am very passionate about education and I want to serve as an inspiration to many people,” said Marlo on his second project with Knowledge Channel.
Marlo shared that mental health is one of the topics in the series that he considers as very important after sharing his personal experience during the pandemic when he had to take a hiatus from work.
“Nagka-anxiety ako noong pandemic. I left Star Magic. I left Knowledge Channel. I did not know what was happening to me. Yun pala anxiety. I had to help myself. Na-cripple ako ng anxiety ko. Ang gusto ko, matuto ang mga tao sa akin at matuto ako sa experience ng ibang tao,” revealed Marlo.
“And I am glad mental health is one of the topics discussed in the show. We want parents to be aware of their baby’s brain development, kahit nasa tiyan pa lang ito,” he said.
Rina Lopez, president and executive director of Knowledge Channel Foundation, Inc. (KCFI), hopes the show will inspire more parents to raise young children in a nurturing, responsive, and safe environment.
“The first 1,000 days in life also affects the brain architecture as well as emotional, mental, and social development. It’s very critical that this is addressed,” she said.
Rina explained that each episode is specially curated to address every concern and debunk superstitions on early childhood care.
“The early childhood care is very important. Their experiences, including their nutrition in the first five years, will serve as the foundation of their learning and development later in life,” she said.
Jovita Raval, chief of the NNC’s information and education division, emphasized the need for credible TV programs like ILY 1000 to dispel widely-held wrong beliefs.
“Ang daming pamahiin na kailangan ikorek lalo na sa pagpapalaki ng bata tulad ng paglalagay ng piso sa pusod at pagpapakain ng am (rice water). Masustansya raw ang am, pero wala itong sustansiya,” she said. “We hope this program will resonate with many families. We start on Feb. 14 and this is our gift of love to Filipino families.”
Jovita added that in the past, NNC had partnered with ABS-CBN to produce TV shows such as Busong Lusog: Ang Gabay sa Wastong Nutrisyon in 2008, which aimed to educate mothers on proper nutrition for their growing families, and Why Not in 2010, which featured positive eating behaviors for better nutrition.
“Marami kaming napanalunang Anak TV Seal awards for that and hanggang ngayon ay ni-re-replay ng Kapamilya Channel. Sana yung mga bata ngayon ay patuloy nila itong napapanood kasi it’s a good way to teach proper nutrition,” she said.
Weekly episodes of I Love You 1000: Batang #Laking1000 will air every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday at 4 p.m. starting on Feb. 14 on Knowledge Channel available on Sky Cable, Cablelink, PCTA, Cignal, Gsat, and online via iWantTFC and the social media pages of KCFI and NNC.