“LET'S plant more lakatan – our weapon against child malnutrition!“ Thus Mayor Jono Jumamoy exhorted his constituents in Barangay Lapacan Sur who received this variety of banana suckers as part of the town's nutrition program.  Lakatan is rich in vitamins, minerals and energy and is therefore a highly recommended snack food for children instead of junk food or even plain bread. Inabanga bought the suckers from Davao and paid for the shipment with the P250, 000 cash prize that came with the plaque conferred by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Jumamoy for bagging the National Nutrition Award in 2007.  Jumamoy had lavished praise on the Inabangnons for the award. “It is my pride that through our collective efforts, Inabanga received the highest nutrition honor award that year,” he said.  At the same time, he vowed to sustain programs and projects designed to nurse undernourished children back to health.

Municipal Agriculturist Leocadio Torregosa oriented the recipients on the proper planting and care of the suckers.  “I look forward to the day when, with these suckers now, we will no longer need to go to the market to buy this potassium-rich fruit,” he said.  Public Health Nurse Ma. Rolinda Melecio noted that the beneficiaries of the lakatan suckers are the parents with identified undernourished children in the year 2007.  Melecio said 169 beneficiaries in this barangay received 10 suckers each. Seven more suckers were also given to be planted in the barangay nutrition committee garden.  She disclosed later that the administration originally planned to buy suckers from the locality but due to banana diseases detected here, they opted to buy from Davao instead.