Bontoc, Mountain Province- Through the Provincial Health Office of Mt. Province, the Most Active Municipal Nutrition Action Officers (MNAOs) were recognized during the Provincial Health Summit and Philippine Public Health Association (Mt. Province Chapter) Convention on April 18, 2013 at Ridgebrooke Hotel and Restaurant, Samoki, Bontoc, Mt. Province. Dr. Amelita Pangilinan (Assistant Regional Director of DOH-CHD-CAR and RNC Chairman representative) graced the event. She congratulated the province for the initiative in adopting the giving of recognition to good practices that DOH-CHD Regional Office instituted for the LGUs during the Health Decision Makers’ forum.
The criteria for the selection of the Most Active MNAOs included the following: !) presence of approved 2012 MNAP; 2) attendance to PNC Meetings from 2011 to 2012; 3)MNC regular meetings initiated and conducted from 2011 to 2012; 4)activities initiated on Nutrition from 2011 to 2012; and 5) the submission of reports/documents from 2011 to 2012.
Among the eleven MNAOs of the province, Ms. Helen M. Kimmayong of Bauko ranked first while Ms. Elizabeth T. Billao (Sabangan) and Dr. Diga Kay D. Gomez (Bontoc) ranked second and third, respectively.
Ms. Kimmayong bested other contenders for her regular submission of nutrition plan and reports to the provincial nutrition office including the regional level. Also, she is consistently initiating the municipal wide celebration of Nutrition Month or the Lumdang (as they locally termed) yearly. Although performing multiple functions in the Rural Health Unit as the Nurse II and CHT Coordinator, she still took the challenge of working as the MNAO positively. She said that the strong support of the Municipal Nutrition Council, headed by Hon. Simon Lacwasan, Sr. greatly contributed in achieving the recognition.
The Most Active MNAOs award was presented by Dr. Penelope Domogo (PHO) and assisted by Dr. Pangilinan (ARD, DOH-CHD), Ms. Emily Lumpio (RNET, DBM-CAR), Mr. Wilfred Bilog (PNAO) and Ms. Wendy Mana-a (NO II, NNC-CAR).
