BONTOC, Mountain Province, Apr. 6 (PIA) - -Fifty eight nutrition workers from across the Cordillera participated in the Regional Nutrition Federation first semestral meeting here last week

Rita Papey, Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator, said they discussed nutrition programs and projects updates and sharing of experiences.

Bella Basalong of the National Nutrition Council-Cordillera presented the Sustainable Development Goals 2015-2030 focusing on Goal No. 2 which aims to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.

Presentation on the Scaling Up Nutrition in the Philippines was also an eye-opener to most of the participants, Papey added.

The results of the 2015 Operation Timbang (OPT) Plus which revealed the current status of each municipalities in region in terms of the prevalence of under nutrition of preschool children was likewise presented. Abra has the most number of municipalities and Lacub as the highest number of underweight preschool children.

Updates were also given on the upcoming activities such as the conduct of the Monitoring and Evaluation of Local Level Plan Implementation (MELLPI) in the provinces.

Some resolutions by the Regional Nutrition Committee to improve the nutrition status in the region were also presented. These are on the promotion of the production and consumption of indigenous crops, native livestock and endemic fisheries; promotion of the Apayao State College Complementary Food Processing Product; organization of Infant and Young Child Feeding support groups and encouraging LGUs to designate their BNS/BHW to collect data on the number of pregnant and lactating mothers, and under five children in the evacuation centers during disasters for inclusion in the evacuation center information board and submission to HEMS region if evacuees stay in the evacuation center for more than three days. (JDP/MAWC – PIA CAR with reports from Carol Donaal of NNC-CAR)