2nd Year CROWN Maintenance Award
Biñan City
Bringing Resources for Inclusive Growth, Heading Towards Empowerment and Resiliency
The City of Biñan, a component city in the Province of Laguna, is situated a few kilometers south of Metro Manila. Its strategic location opened vast opportunities for the city, including the emergence of commercial establishments, shopping centers, and the existence of Laguna Technopark, making it the “Trading and Commerce Center of the South”. Aside from this, Biñan is also a home to rich history, even once resided by the country’s national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal. To date, it is still well known for its shoes and slippers, hats, and the famous pancake made from rice flour or Puto Biñan.
Unknown to some, the city has garnered numerous awards under the leadership of City Mayor Honorable Atty. Walfredo R. Dimaguila, Jr, including its 3rd Seal of Good Local Governance Award last November 2019. And as chair of the City Nutrition Committee (CNC), together with City Nutrition Action Officer Ms. Isidora C. Alias, they are now conferred with the 2nd Year Consistent Regional Outstanding Winner in Nutrition (CROWN) Maintenance Award for 2019. With their mission to “achieve and ensure optimum nutrition for all Biñanenses”, they are one step closer to their vision of “an empowered, productive, and resilient city by healthy and well-nourished Biñanenses”.
One of the notable programs of the City of Biñan is the establishment of breastfeeding station or corner not only in all 24 barangays, city hall, birthing homes in 18 selected barangays, and city hospital but also to non-health establishments such as three private companies, and eight malls and supermarkets, some have even been accredited by the Department of Health. Aside from this, they also continue to strengthen community-based health and nutrition support through the conduct of training and refresher courses for both health and nutrition workers, and other barangay implementers and peer counselors. These activities put infant and young child feeding at the forefront of the city’s priorities.
Moreover, their nutrition promotion activities for behavior change are not limited to nutrition classes, buntis fair or congress, and distribution of IEC materials, but also to the radio and social media. Usapang Nutrisyon on Air (UNO) is a regular segment in the city’s own radio station, 87.9 FM, which can be accessed through the stick-to-one radio device provided to indigent families, pregnant women, and those with children less than 5 years old. The segment is also available via Facebook Live every Friday in which the city nutrition office and its staff discuss proper nutrition through the topics on 10 Kumainments, Pinggang Pinoy, Breastfeeding, and First 1000 Days. CNC members are also invited to give updates about their nutrition-related programs. To encourage more listeners, some Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNSs) through the assistance of their respective Barangay Nutrition Committees (BNCs), gather parents in the barangay to listen all together to cultivate better knowledge, attitude, and practices in nutrition.
Other nutrition-specific interventions that are being implemented in the city are the conduct of: 1) training on Philippine Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (PIMAM) for city and barangay health and nutrition workers; 2) dietary supplementation program for pregnant and lactating women, wasted and severely wasted preschool children, and indigent 6-23 months old children; 3) micronutrient supplementation for infants, preschool children, postpartum women, and women of reproductive age; 4) promotion of fortified foods, including monitoring of its sales in sari-sari stores and supermarkets; 5) re-organization of the city nutrition cluster and formulation of Nutrition in Emergencies (NiEm) Plan integrated in the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management in Health (DRRMH) Plan and City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRM) Plan.
Additionally, to prevent rising cases of overweight and obesity among preschool and school children, City Resolution 140 s. 2019 “Paraiso ng Batang Biñan” was unanimously approved, which calls for the construction of public children’s playgrounds in various barangays to promote the right of every child to full opportunities for wholesome recreation and activities. This was first implemented in the city’s “Organik Farm” to provide a space where children can exercise their right in safety. The farm is also open to the public as a place for leisure, planting vegetables, raising animals, and even attending seminar or orientation on backyard gardening for households, schools, and barangays.
Other nutrition-sensitive interventions of the city are 1) livelihood assistance for parents of wasted and severely wasted preschool children, lactating mothers, and solo parents; 2) promotion of safe drinking water to households; 3) conduct of water testing in the community; 4) campaign on zero open defecation; and 5) implementation and monitoring of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) in schools (WinS) Program.
Aside from these, the CNC continually ensures that nutrition is integrated in other programs of the city such as the teenage pregnancy symposium, pre-marriage counseling, and health and wellness workplace policy for the city government employees. Health Assistance Program (HAPI) card and PhilHealth ng Masa were also provided to pregnant women, under five years old children, Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), and senior citizens to aid in their hospitalization.
With all these interventions combined, they were able to meet their objective of sustained reduction in malnutrition. Specifically, wasting prevalence of preschool children decreased from 1.64% to 0.98%, while stunting prevalence reduced from 3.05% to 1.87%, and overweight and obesity decreased from 1.06% to 0.65%, from 2017 to 2019, respectively. On the other hand, prevalence of wasting in school children decreased from 19.2% to 12.6%, and prevalence of overweight and obesity from 4.5% to 3.3%, also from 2017 to 2019, respectively.
Ultimately, the City of Biñan would not reach the 2nd Year CROWN Maintenance Award if not for its multi-sectoral and inclusive collaboration for the implementation of efficient, effective, and sustainable nutrition programs. The combined efforts and support of the local nutrition committees, city nutrition office, health and nutrition workers, and constituents makes them one step closer in achieving the Nutrition Honor Award, the highest award in nutrition. The City of Binan is now BRIGHTER! Bringing Resources for Inclusive Growth, Heading Towards Empowerment and Resiliency.
Written by:
Maria Camille Andrea L. Hari, RND
Nutrition Officer II, Nutrition Surveillance Division
National Nutrition Council
The 2021 NNAC Souvenir Program is now available for download: https://bit.ly/dwnld2021NNACSP
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