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- Category: Region NCR
Alongside the annual Monitoring and Evaluation of Local Level Plan Implementation (MELLPI) is the Search for the Regional Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar (ROBNS). The BNSs are barangay-based nutrition workers tasked to coordinate and deliver basic nutrition services in their respective communities. Since 1979, the MELLPI and BNS evaluation are institutionalized activities of the national and local nutrition committees.
Ten (10) Oustanding BNSs namely, Felicitas C. Guerrero (Malabon City), Emilie D. Chavez (Makati City), Daisy Logro (Pasay City), Nilda M. Aguilar (Pasig City), Elsa C. Herasta (Municipality of Pateros), Elizabeth P. Martinez (Taguig City), Arceli B. Mendoza (Paranaque City), Emilia Roque (Navotas City), Saloma Zamora (Mandaluyong City) and Aurora H. Sedorifa (Valenzuela City) are vying for the 2013 ROBNS Award. They were evaluated by their respective local nutrition program coordinators based on their performance in 2013.
Nutrition Officer III of NNC-NCR and a member of the Regional Nutrition Evaluation Team (RNET), Ms. Emerenciana L. Francia, validated the performance of each of the OBNSs during the MELLPI visit. Each of the OBNSs was evaluated and rated based on the comparison of the annual accomplishments and the targets set in his/her BNS action plan (BNSAP) following the basic tasks of identifying and locating target beneficiaries, delivering services, and surveillance of identified malnourished children, and assistance/participation in barangay nutrition activities. The ten OBNSs also took a written examination on May 13, 2014 at the CHD-NCR Conference Room in Mandaluyong City as part of the regional Search.
The first ranking OBNS with a final rating of 90% and higher shall be declared ROBNS and shall be given a trophy and cash award during the Regional Nutrition Awarding Ceremony (RNAC) slated on August of this year. The ROBNS of NCR will also have a chance to be evaluated by the National Evaluation Team (NET) for the National OBNS Award (NOBNS) should she be shortlisted based on the scores of all the ROBNSs in the country.
The RNET will have its deliberation meeting on June 3-4, 2014 to determine the ROBNS and the Green Banner Awardee.
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- Category: Region NCR
On May 6-9, 2014, the inter-agency National Evaluation Team (NET) conducted its validation visit in Mandaluyong City being a contender for the First Year Consistent Regional Outstanding Winner in Nutrition (CROWN) Award.
Mandaluyong City, dubbed as the Tiger City of the Philippines, got their CROWN Award last year for winning the Green Banner Award for three (3) consecutive years in recognition of their exemplary performance in nutrition program management in 2010, 2011 and 2012. During the 4-day NET validation visit, Mayor Benhur Abalos personally presented and explained the city's nutrition program and projects and how these contributed to the improvement of the nutritional status of children 0-71 months old.
The NET was able to visit the city's innovative projects such as Project TEACH (Therapy, Education and Assimilation of Children with Handicap) and livelihood programs. Four (4) barangays namely, Buayang Bato, Highway Hills, Barangka Itaas and Bagong Silang were visited to validate the barangay nutrition committees' nutrition programs and projects.
Mayor Abalos and City Nutrition Action Officer (CNAO) and First Lady Mrs. Menchie Abalos led the members of the City Nutrition Committee, the BNC Chairs and Barangay NAOs, Barangay Nutrition Scholars, city and local officials in welcoming the NET and ensuring that the necessary documents are ready for the CROWN validation visit. RNPC Mila Federizo and NO III Meren Francia of the NNC-NCR together with RNET Chair Ms. Lorna Cruz of DILG-NCR and RNET Vice Chair Ms. Marlene Navarro of Grace Family Helper Project were present during the NET visit to support Mandaluyong City.
The city is aiming for the highest award, the Nutrition Honor Award. The challenge for the city is to get the CROWN Maintenance Award for 3 consecutive years. Mayor Benhur Abalos, in his presentation, reiterated the city's commitment to improve further their nutrition situation through the effective and efficient management of their nutrition program.
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- Category: Region NCR
“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.
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- Category: Region NCR
The National Nutrition Council-NCR encourages the cities and municipality in Metro Manila to join the nationwideSearch for the 2014 Pabasa sa Nutrisyon Awardees. The Pabasa sa Nutrisyon Awards is an annual search of the Philippine Association of Nutrition (PAN) for government and non-government organizations that have successfully implemented thePabasa sa Nutrisyon project developed by the Nutrition Center of the Philippines (NCP).
Pabasa sa Nutrisyon (PSN) is an innovative nutrition education approach that aims to empower families in reducing their vulnerability to malnutrition through the adoption of proper nutrition practices and healthy lifestyles. It is a participative learning of nutrition information contained in the Nutri-Guide which mothers read and learn through discussion and interactive games and exercises.
In Metro Manila, the PSN sessions are conducted by Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNSs) and other health and nutrition workers. Many BNSs in Metro Manila have been trained in doing PSN sessions as part of the Promote Good Nutrition (PGN) trainings in the region in 2007 and 2010 which were funded by NNC as part of the Accelerated Hunger Mitigation Program (AHMP). Since then, many mothers have completed PSN sessions and have used their learnings to improve their family’s health and nutrition practices.
The LGUs are encouraged to submit their entry together with the necessary documentation to the NNC-NCR Office not later than the first week of May for review and endorsement to the NCP. The awarding ceremony will be held at the Annual PAN Convention on July 17-18, 2014 in Cebu City.
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- Category: Region NCR
Health Undersecretary Teodoro J. Herbosa and concurrent Regional Director of the Department of Health NCR Regional Office is the new Chair of the National Capital Region’s Regional Nutrition Committee (RNC). In a joint meeting of the RNC and the Regional Management Group (RMG) held on 14 March 2014, U/Sec. Herbosa accepted the chairmanship of the RNC and expressed his wholehearted support to the nutrition program in the region.
The RNC is part of the organizational and coordinating structure for the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) which is the country’s framework in improving the nutritional status of Filipinos. It is an inter-sectoral body composed of regional directors of national government agencies and heads of non-government organizations. The RNC formulates policies in support of the PPAN and coordinates and monitors the implementation of the PPAN in the region.
The RNC in NCR has a membership of twenty (20) agencies, namely the regional offices of the Departments of Health (DOH), Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Agriculture (DA), Interior and Local Government (DILG), Education (DepED), Labor and Employment (DOLE); Philippine Information Agency (PIA); Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA); Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA); Population Commission (POPCOM); National Statistics Office (NSO), and non-governmental organizations, namely the Nutrition Center of the Philippines (NCP), Nutrition Foundation of the Phil. (NFP), Innerwheel Clubs of the Phil. (IWCP), GMA Kapuso Foundation, Save the Children, Bantay Bata 163 Foundation, Hope for the Youth Foundation (HFYF) and Grace Family Helper Project (GFHP). The National Nutrition Council-NCR serves as the Secretariat of the Committee.
The technical arm of the RNC in NCR is the Regional Management Group which is composed of middle managers/representatives from the RNC member agencies. The RMG facilitates inter-agency communication and coordination, monitoring, evaluation and implementation of regional nutrition policies and program. USec. Herbosa has assigned RNC Vice-Chair and POPCOM Regional Director Lolito Tacardon to head the RMG.
USec. Herbosa’s first order of business is to strengthen the RNC by encouraging the attendance and active participation of all the regional directors and heads of member agencies in the meetings and policy-making process of the RNC. The RMG on the other hand, expressed their support to the leadership of Usec. Herbosa.
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- Category: Region NCR
More than 44,000 children aged 0-5 years old in Metro Manila are underweight for their age based on the results of the Operation Timbang (OPT) Plus conducted in the 16 cities and one municipality in Metro Manila in 2013. OPT Plus is a massive weighing and length/height-taking activity among children 0-71 months old held at the start of the year to help communities locate and identify children who are underweight, thin, stunted or overweight. Results of OPT Plus are used by local government units (LGUs) in planning nutrition interventions to address the malnutrition problem in their communities.
Of the 1.68 million children weighed in 2013, 3 out of every 100 were found to be underweight and severely underweight for their age while 1 out of every 100 was found to be overweight. Eight (8) LGUs have prevalence rate of underweight higher than the regional prevalence rate of 2.63%. First in the list is the City of Juan with 5.13% followed by Malabon City (4.57%), Muntinlupa City (4.57%), Pasay City (4.27%), Manila (3.84%), Pasig City (3.55%), Navotas City (3.39%), Las Piñas City (3.17%), and Caloocan City (2.93%). Makati City has the lowest prevalence rate of underweight (0.73%).
The prevalence of overweight in NCR shows an increasing trend from 2011 to 2013 (1.14%, 1.18% and 1.33%, respectively). A total of 22,414 children were found to be overweight for their age in 2013. The prevalence of overweight in NCR was found highest in Marikina City (6.9%) and lowest in Las Piñas City (0.39%).
