“Walang imposible kung tayo ay sama-sama at magtutulungan. We cannot implement programs and projects if there’s no support from the  members of the City Nutrition Committee (CNC)”.  These were the parting words of the First Lady and Paranaque City Nutrition Action Officer Mrs. Janet Olivarez to the members of their CNC during the inaugural meeting of the committee on March 27, 2014 at the Paranaque City Hall. 

NPC Mila Federizo and NOIII Meren Francia were invited to the meeting to present how the local nutrition committee and the Barangay Nutrition Scholar program can improve the nutrition situation of the city. Regional Nutrition Management Group member Mrs. Beth Florendo was also present during the meeting.

The nutrition situation and on-going nutrition and nutrition related programs and projects of the city were shared by the city’s nutrition program coordinators e.g. Food Assistance, Home School and Community Food Production, Infant and Young Child Feeding, Micronutrient Supplementation and Food Fortification.

The members of the committee showed enthusiasm in implementing nutrition programs and projects anchored on the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) to significantly reduce the malnutrition problem in the city. The availability of budget for nutrition and livelihood programs for priority beneficiaries is an opportunity that the CNC will actively pursue. They will also organize or revitalize the barangay nutrition committees with designated Barangay Nutrition Action Officer (BNAO) as an initial step to improve the nutrition program at the barangay level.

The group agreed to have a planning workshop to formulate the three-year nutrition action plan of the city based on the comprehensive assessment of their nutrition situation.