The National Nutrition Council at the National Capital Region in its effort to step up the monitoring of the Promote Good Nutrition (PGN) Program at the local level mobilized selected PGN-trained nutritionist-dietitians, midwives and nurse supervisors designated by their respective LGUs as PGN monitors to do the monitoring of their local PGN activities.

The NNC started the implementation of the PGN Program in 2007 as a component of the Accelerated Hunger Mitigation Program (AHMP). The program includes trainings on infant and young child feeding (IYCF) for barangay implementers, Pabasa sa Nutrisyon, promotion of eggs and vegetables and the Nutritional Guidelines for Filipinos. It also includes the multi-media campaign on nutrition and the production and distribution of various information, education and communication (IEC) materials to local government units and schools.

The Regional PGN Monitoring Team organized by NNC-NCR has already conducted monitoring visits to selected areas in Metro Manila to determine the status and outcomes of the PGN program. The organization of local PGN monitoring teams will allow monitoring of more areas and enable the LGUs to systematically assess their local PGN implementation.

An orientation meeting with the local PGN Monitors was conducted by the NNC-NCR on October 7, 2013 at the Amphitheater of the Center for Health Development-NCR to familiarize them on the mechanics and tools of the PGN monitoring. The local PGN monitoring teams are expected to do ocular visit and interview with barangay implementers to identify program outcomes particularly on the organization of IYCF support groups, conduct of Pabasa sa Nutrisyon classes, and other supportive actions on IYCF and nutrition; determine the availability and use of the IEC materials distributed; identify issues and concerns in the implementation and provide recommendations; and document the program implementation in their respective LGUs as they do their monitoring.

The NNC-NCR is optimistic that the PGN monitoring at the local level will lead to better program implementation as the results generated from it can be used in planning for the necessary actions to improve the program and its implementation.