In preparation for this year’s Monitoring and Evaluation of Local Level Plan Implementation or MELLPI which will include the evaluation of Local Nutrition Focal Points (LNFPs), the National Nutrition Council – NCR conducted an online orientation for the local government units (LGUs) on May 5, 2021 to discuss the MELLPI tools for LNFPs.

The orientation was attended by 84 participants from the 17 Metro Manila LGUs composed of Nutrition Action Officers and assistant NAOs, nutritionist-dietitians, and members of the local nutrition committees.

This year's MELLPI will be conducted online and will assess the LGU's 2019 nutrition program implementation, the performance of their Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar (BNS) as well as Nutrition Action Officer (NAO) and local nutrition program coordinator referred to as local nutrition focal points (LNFPs).

Through the orientation, the participants were reviewed on the key features of the MELLPI Pro and how the MELLPI Pro will be done in the new normal. Nutrition Officer III Emerenciana Francia discussed the three (3) MELLPI Pro Tool for LNFPs: NAO, C/MNPC and BNS. She also presented the scoring system and awards and schedule of the MELLPI.

Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator Milagros Elisa Federizo hopes that through the orientation, the LGUs were able to understand and appreciate the importance of the MELLPI Pro tool in assessing the performance of nutrition workers. She emphasized that the tool would help in recognizing the important contribution of the nutrition workers in implementing the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) at the local level. The tool can also be used to advocate to our local chief executives (LCEs) to designate NAOs, hire local nutrition program coordinators, and ensure the deployment of at least one (1) BNS per barangay. The tool can also be used by nutrition workers in doing a self-assessment to know if they are performing their tasks according to the minimum standard. 

RNPC Federizo also commended the willingness of the LGUs to participate in the MELLPI despite their involvement in the COVID-19 response of their localities. “Ramdam po namin yung inyong pag-aalala sa inyong sariling kaligtasan, yung pagod at hirap ninyo sa deployment sa vaccination area at sa pag-aasikaso sa COVID-19 response at iba pang bagay,” RNPC Federizo said. She added, “Pero yung presence ninyo this morning is a good indication na tayo po ay magtutulong tulong para sa successful conduct ng 2021 MELLPI Pro to assess the 2019 performance.”

The MELLPI Pro is conducted yearly as the monitoring and evaluation strategy of the PPAN. With due consideration on the challenging situation that the LGUs are facing because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NNC-NCR will conduct the MELLPI from June to August 2021 online. The decision to push through with the MELLPI this year and the schedule of its implementation were agreed upon during the online consultation meeting with the officers and board members of the Association of Nutrition Action Officers of NCR (ANAO-NCR), Inc. held on April 28, 2021.


Written by: NOII Theresa A. Rivas and NPC Milagros Elisa V. Federizo