BAGUIO CITY , Feb. 15 (PIA) -–The Regional Nutrition Evaluation Team (RNET) of the National Nutrition Council (NNC) is now ready for the conduct of the 2013 Monitoring and Evaluation of Local Level Plan Implementation (MELLPI) and Barangay Nutrition Scholar (BNS) evaluation in the Cordillera region.

Abra is its first stop next week.

During the orientation on the 2013 MELLPI and BNS evaluation conducted by NNC at the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) conference hall last Thursday, Wendy Mana-a of the NNC informed that the undertaking aims to monitor and validate the efficiency and effectiveness of the nutrition and nutrition-related activities implemented at the local level.

Mana-a added that the NNC, together with the members of the RNET will be covering the provinces of Apayao, Abra, Ifugao, Kalinga, Mt. Province, Benguet and Tabuk and Baguio City.

After Abra, the team will proceed to Ifugao on February 25 to March 1 ; Baguio City on March 4 to 8; Kalinga and Tabuk City on April 1 to 5; Benguet on April 8 to 12; Mt. Province -April 15 to 19, 2013, and Apayao- April 22 to 26.

As to the areas to be visited, Mana-a informed that all provinces, cities, municipalities and barangays with Nutrition Action Plans will be visited at least once a year, however, the number of municipalities and barangays with Nutrition Action Plans (NAPs) to be visited within the province, municipality and city will be decided by the team as per guidelines.

She added that those provinces, cities, municipalities and barangays without NAPs should likewise be monitored by the team using the following criteria: No Nutrition program in the area, Non-Functional nutrition committee, Continued absence of Nutrition Action Plan (NAP), high prevalence of underweight pre-school children (PS), and newly trained & deployed Nutrition Action Officer (NAO).

The RNET will also monitor the Consistent Regional Outstanding Winnner in Nutrition(CROWN) awardees to provide technical assistance to be able to win the higher awards or maintain its status.

Mana-a said that list of winning areas can be disclosed only after the evaluation results/ recommendations are confirmed by the Regional Nutrition Committee (RNC), and once it has made its decision, evaluation results are considered final and irrevocable.

Members of the evaluation team agreed that the Department of Interior and Local Government will act as the chairperson with the NNC as secretariat.

Other members of the evaluation team include the Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Agrarian Reform, Department of Agriculture, Department of Health, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Department of Budget and Management, Department of Labor and Employment and the Philippine Information Agency. (JDP/MAWC- PIA CAR