The City/District Nutrition Program Coordinators (C/DNPCs) of Metro Manila Association through its Board of Directors agreed to conduct capacity building activities for its members as part of the activities for 2023 during their first meeting held on February 7, 2023 via Zoom.

The meeting was presided by Association President, Ms. Joann Espiritu and assisted by NNC-NCR Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator Milagros Elisa V. Federizo and Development Management Officer II Theresa Rivas. It was attended by 17 C/DNPCs from 15 local government units (LGUs) in Metro Manila. There were no representatives from the cities of Marikina and Mandaluyong.

Aside from the annual conference, the group plans to conduct training/orientation on the verification of height boards and Idol ko si Nanay Module. It is the Association’s mission to conduct capacity development activities to improve competency of C/DNPCs to ensure sustained quality nutrition programs and other related services.  

Wooden height boards are used to measure the length and height of children less than five (5) years old. To ensure the reliability of measurements using the wooden height board, the equipment must be calibrated and verified at a specific time.

C/DNPC representatives in all 17 LGUs in NCR were trained and certified as verifiers of wooden height boards in 2013. However, some of the verifiers already retired from service. The Association recognized the need to train more verifiers to ensure that all LGUs have enough certified height board verifiers. 

On the other hand, the Idol ko si Nanay Module will teach health and nutrition workers to empower mothers of infants and young children in coming up with vital decisions for the improvement of their children’s nutritional status during the first 1000 days of life

Aside from capacity development activities, the Association also plans to conduct regular meetings, income generating project, social outreach activity, printing of the C/DNPC Association ID and Handbook and fellowship activity. The Association will set another meeting within the first quarter to plan for the details of the planned activities.

President Espiritu, with the continuous assistance of NNC-NCR, is hopeful that the Association will accomplish more in 2023 with its new set of Officers and Board Members for 2023-2025.  

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