Baguio City – Nutrition Action Officers’ Association-Cordillera Administrative Region (NAOA-CAR) officers agreed to strengthen LGU nutrition programs through the implementation of the Supreme Court Ruling on the Mandanas case during their virtual meeting on May 18, 2021 presided over by the association President Jimmy Taguilingon.
As a step towards this, the NAOA-CAR officers agreed that a conference will be conducted in collaboration with NNC CAR to discuss the SC Ruling on Mandanas case and the strengthening of LGU nutrition programs. Options for strengthening of the LGUs nutrition programs also will be presented during the conference. Participants will be those involved in the budgeting and planning of funds particularly from the SB/P on Heath, SB/P Committee on Appropriations, Budget Officers, P/MPDO and P/C/MNAOs. The officers agreed on June 3 as the date of the conference, however, NPC Papey later said that per advise from NEDA and DBM, date will be adjusted to wait for the release of the local budget memorandum and related executive order.
NPC Papey mentioned during the meeting that nutrition despite its very strong link to development is one of the least supported programs with very few LGUs in CAR having dedicated staff for nutrition and this implementation of Supreme Court Ruling will be a golden opportunity to strengthen LGU nutrition program implementation to include the establishment of nutrition offices or hiring of staff for nutrition aside from higher budgets for nutrition programs by all LGUs. Dr Edward Tandingan, Provincial Health Officer II and Provincial Nutrition Action Officer of Kalinga said that these efforts should also be integrated in the Universal Health Care Program of the LGUs.
According to the presentation taken from the DBM website on Supreme Court Ruling on the Mandanas Case, effective 2022, LGU’s IRA would increase by about 27.61 %. To mitigate the impact of additional resources for LGUs, there will be further devolution of national agency functions.
Aside from the NAOA CAR officers in attendance, CHD representatives particularly the CHD Nutritionist, Nutritionists deployed to the provinces and cities and NNC CAR staff attended the meeting.
/PQM/BMB/RDP
