A significant reduction in underweight among children 0-5 years old was noted in Muntinlupa City in the past three (3) years, from a prevalence of 5.07% in 2014 to 1.53% in 2016. For the City Nutrition Committee (CNC), this significant improvement in nutrition situation is a considerable feat.

The city boasts of having an active and fully functional City Nutrition Committee based on the LNC Functionality Checklist of the National Nutrition Council. It has 22 members from government and non-government organizations who are actively involved in planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating a mix of nutrition programs and projects anchored on the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN). The Mayor has issued Executive Order 39 reorganizing the CNC and EO 40 creating the City Nutrition Cluster.

The active involvement of the CNC has led to the comprehensive assessment of the nutrition situation of the city which served as the basis for the formulation of their 3-year City Nutrition Action Plan (CNAP).

Various nutrition interventions were implemented by the CNC in 2016 to bring about nutrition improvement. Among those implemented was the “Tamang Timbang Tungo sa Malusog na Kinabukasan” Supplementary Feeding Program for underweight and wasted/thin preschool children. Food items and cooking equipment and utensils for the 120-day feeding program were provided by the Gender and Development (GAD) Office, Muntinlupa Development Foundation and the Bottom-Up Budgeting (BUB) Fund. Kiwanis and the GAD Office provided Manna Pack Rice which has extruded soy nuggets providing good amount of protein; vitamins and minerals; and vegetarian flavoring. The nutrient-dense rice was served as the staple in hot meals for the feeding beneficiaries prepared by their mothers at the feeding sites.

Undernourished children who cannot attend the center-based feeding program were given weekly ration of Nutri Pack and oatmeal for four (4) months. The DSWD-NCR also funded a supplementary feeding for day care children 2-4 years old. Thin/ wasted school children were also given daily supplementary feeding funded by DepEd-NCR, GAD Fund and 35% of the school canteen fund.

Parents of the supplementary feeding (SF) beneficiaries had to attend a meeting before the start of the feeding program to orient them on their roles and responsibilities in the program. They were also given values formation with emphasis on good parenting practices.

Pabasa sa Nutrisyon (PSN) classes for mothers of undernourished children were conducted in all barangays in the city. Mothers had to attend 4-half day PSN sessions to complete the PSN modules. Pre- and post-tests were administered to the PSN participants. The budget for the PSN sessions was taken from the MNCHN grant of the DOH.

The Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNSs) regularly conduct home visits among families of malnourished children. Children 0-23 and 24-71 months old are weighed monthly and once every three (3) months, respectively. The weight of the child is plotted on an enlarged growth chart which is posted on the wall inside the house. This helps the parents to visually see if their child/children is/are growing well or faltering in growth. The growth curve is explained by the BNS or nutritionist-dietitian (ND) to the parents for their appropriate actions to help their child/children grow well. Families of children who are severely underweight or wasted/thin are visited at least twice a month by the BNS and or ND. Day Care pupils are also weighed monthly by the BNS and Barangay Health Worker (BHW).

The CNC also printed roll-up tarpaulin streamers on the First 1000 Days which were distributed to all health centers. The said IEC material is useful in the First 1000 Days campaign during bench lectures in health centers, nutrition education activities in the community and breastmilk letting sessions.

Partner NGOs are tapped for logistic support particularly in the feeding programs, livelihood activities, urban vegetable gardening and values formation seminars and meetings for parents of malnourished children. The Community Affairs and Development Office (CADO) also facilitated the conduct of nutrition education in community assemblies in the nine (9) barangays of the city.

The CNC conducts regular quarterly and special meetings to discuss the status of nutrition program implementation, issues and concerns and plan appropriate remedial measures to improve program accomplishments. They also hold semi- and annual program implementation review (PIR). A monitoring team composed of 4-5 members of the CNC conducts monitoring visits to check status of program/project implementation using a set of monitoring tools formulated by the city nutrition secretariat. Results of the monitoring conducted are presented and discussed in CNC meetings and are utilized in improving further the programs and services.

In 2016, the CNC has done much in terms of reaching out to more nutritionally-at risk families and members of the community. They believe that with the strong political will of the Mayor and the active involvement of the members of the CNC, they can achieve more to sustain the gains that they have accomplished and bring about continuous nutrition improvement.

Written by: Ms. Maria Ana C. Ordenes, Nutritionist-Dietitian III, Muntinlupa City
Ms. Ordenes is a member of the Regional Nutrition Speakers’ Bureau, Nutrition Writers' Guild and City/District Nutrition Program Coordinators of Metro Manila Association, Inc.


*  Muntinlupa City was the recipient of the Very Satisfactory Performance and Most Improved in Nutrition Program Management Award and Best in Program Effectiveness Award during the 2017 Regional Nutrition Awarding Ceremony (RNAC) on July 28, 2017 at Novotel Hotel, Quezon City.
*  Article was included in the 2017 RNAC Souvenir Program