The National Nutrition Council (NNC) in the region together with members of the Regional Technical Assistants on Nutrition (RTAN), conducted a two-day workshop to formulate the Regional Nutrition Strategic Plan (RNSP) for 2012-2016 at the Hotel Veniz in Baguio City.

June P. Falancy, Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator, presented the current nutrition situation in the region where she underscored the challenges as well of the threats affecting the implementation of the Philippine Plan of Action on Nutrition (PPAN) in the next five years.

Among the challenges include; non-functional and low performing Local Nutrition Committees (LNC), lukewarm attitude of Local Chief Executives (LCEs) and laxity of designated Nutrition Action Officers (NAOs), difficulty in transition from International Reference Standards (IRS) to Child Growth Standard (CGS), specially on budget for trainings and purchase of height boards and perennial problem of target beneficiaries with dole- out mentality.

Some of the threats she mentioned are; climate change, continuing global economic crises, agricultural pest (worms, fish kill, frost bites)/natural disasters, man- made disasters (green tide, forest fires) and sporadic tribal wars in some areas affecting delivery of services.

The participants, with the assistance of the workshop facilitators, Mr. Danilo Villa B. Agcopra, Nutrition Office IV, Nutrition Policy and Planning Division of NNC Central Office, together with Judith Louise A. Dao-as , of Department of Health-Cordillera formulated the Regional Nutrition Committee’s (RNC’s) vision, mission, goals and the strategies for 2012-2016.

The drafted RNSP will be presented to the RNC for review and approval and the final RSNP will then be presented to the Regional Development Council (RDC) for inclusion in the Regional Development Plan.

Other participants include Provincial Nutrition Action Officers, City/Municipal Nutrition Action Officers.(Mari Cruz, PIA-CAR)