2022 Nutrition Month Webinar of the National Nutrition Council (NNC) Region 02 pushed through last 15 July 2022 via Zoom and Facebook live. The activity aimed to disseminate the 2022 Nutrition Month Talking Points highlighting the nutrition interventions and resiliency in the new normal, and the innovations and adaptions of national government agencies and local government units in delivery on nutrition services during the pandemic. Through the power of digital technology, it was joined by 91 Zoom participants composed of regional and local nutrition committee members in the region. FB live was viewed 968 times and reached around 1,800 FB followers.
The preliminaries highlighted the regional launching of NNC Hymn through the digital platform. Regional Nutrition Committee Chair and Regional Director of Cagayan Valley Center for Health Development, Dr. Grace V. Santiago delivered the welcome message. She acknowledged the difficulties brought by the pandemic in the past two years. She shared that nutrition services should be prioritized in the new normal which is vital to our recovery and rehabilitation.
Assistant Secretary and Executive Director IV of NNC, Dr. Azucena M. Dayanghirang delivered an inspirational message. She greeted everyone a happy 48th Nutrition Month. She highlighted that this year’s theme calls for collective action to improve nutrition as we build resilience towards new normal.
The 2022 Nutrition Month Talking Points was presented by Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator of NNC Region 02, Ms. Maria Gisela M. Lonzaga. She presented the 2022 Nutrition Month Campaign with the following objectives – 1. Raise the awareness of the importance of nutrition in building resilience and recovery from the pandemic; 2. Stimulate discussions among stakeholders on how to build back better the design, delivery, and scale-up of nutrition interventions; and 3. Engage various sectors and the public in activities that promote nutrition. She also shared that the pandemic is expected to increase the prevalence of malnutrition in the country. Nutrition Services were also disrupted hence the lower coverage as reported in the rapid nutrition survey of DOST-FNRI. Families and households who experienced hunger drastically increased during the pandemic as food security is also threatened by the pandemic. She enjoined all the stakeholders, including the academe, civil society organizations, business partners, local nutrition committees, and health and nutrition workers, to support nutrition and the 48th Nutrition Month celebration to build resiliency through nutrition.
Local government units were also invited to share their best practices in nutrition services during the pandemic. Hon. Vice Mayor Maria Olivia B. Pascual, Vice-Chair of Lal-lo Nutrition Committee and chair of the Sangguniang Bayan of Lal-lo, Cagayan shared their nutrition innovations during the pandemic. She highlighted the importance of adequate staff support in delivering health and nutrition services. She also shared their Busog Lusog Program, Breastmilk Donation Drives, vaccination drives for various diseases, policy issuances related to health and nutrition, and continuous health and nutrition programs amidst the pandemic. Hon. Governor Dakila Carlo E. Cua of Quirino Province shared their best practices in Quirino Province. He recognized malnutrition and food insecurity as serious concern in any community. He called the participants to plan and work together to address these problems in line with recovery and rehabilitation efforts of the governments. Ms. Luningning Rhodes, Nutrition Officer of Quirino Province, also shared the efforts of the province in integrating nutrition programs, projects and activities in the mandated plans of other offices. She also shared that the province also gave importance of hiring Registered Nutritionist-Dietitians in all municipalities to implement appropriate nutrition programs that need expertise on nutrition concepts and technicalities.
Members of the Regional Nutrition Committee also shared their best practices in delivering nutrition services. Mr. Edwardson Tad-o of Department of Social Welfare and Development and Ms. Editha Ubiña of Department of Education shared their innovations and practices on how they coped up with the pandemic to ensure deliver of nutrition services. Both agencies have dietary supplementary feeding program prior to the pandemic, and both agencies had shifted from wet rations to dry rations using enhanced nutribuns, banana chips, fresh milk, and other food items. They also conducted monitoring activities including monitoring of their Gulayan sa Paaralan which was converted to Gulayan sa Tahanan during the pandemic. Ms. Bethsaida Duruin of the Department of Agriculture shared the nutrition-related programs of their agency. Plant, plant, plant program was still implemented amidst the pandemic. They also strengthened the establishment of home and community gardens in attempt to lessen the impact of the pandemic in food security. They also conducted regular monitoring activities of their nutrition-related programs.
RNPC Lonzaga thanked everyone, especially the speakers, in participating in the successful event. She once again called for the commitment of everyone to promote good nutrition in the region and celebrate the 2022 Nutrition Month. – Edzell Arcinue
