BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya,  (PIA) – National evaluators of the National Nutrition Council (NNC) recently urged local officials here to consider the conduct of a research on the effects of funded nutrition-related programs, projects and activities meant to combat malnutrition in the province.

Ellen Ruth Abella, NNC evaluation team leader, said there is a need to know the cost-benefit of the funds allotted by the provincial government to track how these funds are faring and their impact on the lives of poor villagers.

“This is important so that we can evaluate the effectiveness of our funded programs, projects and activities to our targeted families,” she said during the recent exit conference tendered for the NNC evaluation team at the Pasalubong Center here.

The NNC evaluators were in the province to check the sustainability of the nutrition program implementation in province being a Consistent Regional Outstanding Winner in Nutrition (CROWN) in the Cagayan Valley region.

Abella made the challenge after the NNC team learned that most of the provincial government’s programs, projects and activities are integrated in reducing the number of malnutrition cases and incidence in the province.

She also praised the various interventions and initiatives of the provincial, municipal and barangay local government units which contributed to the reduction of malnutrition cases and incidence here.

Among these major interventions and initiatives of the provincial government are the strong support of the provincial board in terms of crafting of nutria-related local ordinances and resolutions, the Search For’ ‘Idol Kong Pamilya’ and ‘Idol kong Entrepreneur’, Centenarian Ordinance and regular provision of livelihood and food production funds to poor sectors, among others.

“All of these programs, projects and activities must be evaluated as to their cost-benefit component so that we can fully maximize our resources to the fullest and to the most number of beneficiaries,” Abella said.