The National Nutrition Council Region 02 conducts two (2) batches of “Online Workshops on Integrating Nutrition in the 2021 Annual Investment Program (AIP) for Local Government Units (LGUs)” as part of its effort to scale up nutrition through ensuring that all Local Nutrition Action Plans (LNAPs) have fund allocations in the approved AIPs of LGUs. These workshops was held last 18-21 May 2021 for the first batch attended by Quirino Province and its municipalities and Cagayan Province and its selected municipalities, and 25-28 May 2021 for the second batch attended by the selected municipalities of Batanes and Isabela Provinces.

Honorable Vice Mayor Ronelie Valtoribio of LGU Villaverde, Nueva Vizcaya gave inspirational message and highlighted the importance of the role of the LGUs in investing in nutrition especially in this time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ms. Maria Gisela M. Lonzaga, Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator of NNC Region 02 also highlighted the importance of investing in nutrition through her presentation entitled “ Investing in Nutrition in the New Normal” where she presented the negative effects of malnutrition at different level of the society and in economics, and what the LGUs should prioritize to combat malnutrition.

Expected outputs of these workshops include increased recognition of the alarming malnutrition in the country and the importance of investing in nutrition, integration of nutrition in plans and budgets through nutrition integration in AIPs and a re-entry plan to ensure acceptance of the budget proposals. Proposed nutrition programs, projects and activities focused on stunting reduction and addressing other forms of malnutrition through prioritizing the First 1000 Days of Life, Philippine Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition, Dietary Supplementation Programs for pregnant and lactating women and children aged 6-23 months, and strengthening the implementation of nutrition sensitive and enabling programs of the LGUs.

Last year, selected municipalities of Cagayan and Isabela participated in this workshop conducted by the National Nutrition Council with support from Nutrition International (NI) and UNICEF Technical Assistance providers from Alcanz International LLC. The online mode of the workshop is an adaptation with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. With its early schedule based on the budget calendar of the LGUs, the activity aims to secure the gains made for nutrition across the LGUs that have undergone the local planning and budgeting workshops in 2019. - EMArcinue