Last 5 June 2020, the National Nutrition Council Region III successfully organized and conducted its first ever webinar entitled “Webinar on Crafting A Nutrition Policy”.
The NNC invited three (3) speakers from various agencies such as the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), from the Office of Bayan Muna Representative Eufemia Cullamat and Nutrition Policy and Planning Division of the NNC-Central Office, to discuss topics related to policy-making in line with the agency’s objective of fulfilling its mandate as the country’s policy making and coordinating body on nutrition.
The webinar also aimed to 1) provide the members of the nutrition federated groups and Regional Technical Working Group (RTWG) appreciation on the processes involved on how policies and laws are formulated at the national and geo-administrative levels; 2) assist the members of the nutrition federated group in the crafting of nutrition policies and laws at the provincial, city, municipal, and barangay levels; 3) provide the members of the nutrition federated groups and the RTWG members knowledge on the processes involved in the policy review; and 4) address gaps that the Regional Nutrition Evaluation Team (RNET) identified during the monitoring and evaluation visits.
Nutrition workers from different LGUs were present for the webinar such as the Provincial/City/Municipal Nutrition Action Officers, Barangay Nutrition Scholars, representatives of the RNC member agencies like the Civil Service Commission, Commission on Human Rights, Department of Health-Central Luzon Center for Health and Development, DILG, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Trade and Industry. A former staff from the NNC-Region I who is now working at the LGU requested to join the webinar. Also the three (3) Nutritionist-Dietitians from Aurora Province, under the HRH Program of the DOH were able to participate in the activity.
“IN THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT, GENERALLY, POLICY FORMULATION STARTS WITH THE PLANNING PROCESS.”-ATTY. PAULINO.
Attorney Charmaine Jacqueline Paulino, Attorney IV of the DILG-Regional Office III, was the first speaker with the topic “How policies and laws are crafted at the local levels,” where she first discussed and defined the term “policy” and the stages of policy process. Atty. Paulino emphasized that with the aid of various plans, LGUs are expected to more effectively manage their own local development and be more autonomous.
Atty. Paulino proceeded to discuss and differentiate Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) from the Comprehensive Multi-Sectoral Development Plan (CDP). She also presented and discussed thoroughly the significant steps in CDP formulation and highlighted that all LGUs are required to have a multi-sectoral development plan (CDP) where this can be transformed/relayed into programs, projects, and activities (PPA) through investment programs.
The second speaker, Ms. Natalie V. Pulvinar, Chief Political Affairs Officer of the Office of Bayan Muna (18th Congress) started with her topic on “What are nutrition policies?”. Ms. Pulvinar discussed the purpose and importance of nutrition policies. She said that nutrition policies are designed to influence and determine all major decisions and actions, and all activities in nutrition. Ms. Pulvinar also discussed the details of policy-making, its legislative process and bill drafting and mentioned the step-by-step process such as the filing of the bill, the number of readings required, the amendment process, ratification of the bill, and finally the approval or veto of the President. She also mentioned the different parts of a bill and explained the purpose of each part, as well as the different types of resolutions such as the simple resolution, concurrent resolution, and joint resolution.
Ms. Pulvinar also mentioned some of the bills supported by the Bayan Muna which were enacted into laws. And one of these is House Bill 1764, which later on became Republic Act No. 11037 or An Act Institutionalizing a National Feeding Program for Undernourished Children in Public Day Care, Kindergarten and Elementary Schools to Combat Hunger and Undernutrition Among Filipino Children and Appropriating Funds Therefore. This law is otherwise known as “Masustansyiang Pagkain para sa Batang Pilipino” Act of 2018 which mandates the Department of Social Welfare and Development to implement the supplementary feeding program for undernourished children who are three to five years old.
Ms. Strawberry Alberto, Nutrition Officer II of the Nutrition Policy and Planning Division of the NNC-Central Office started the discussion on “Policy Review” by enumerating and defining the different types of public policies which includes substantive policies, procedural policies, regulatory policies, distributive policies redistribution policies, and capitalization policies.
“POLICIES ARE NEEDED TO HELP GUIDE ACTIONS AND PROVIDE CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS ON WHAT SHOULD/MUST BE DONE IN A PARTICULAR SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES OR WITH REGARD TO A PARTICULAR ISSUE AND ALSO PROVIDES COMMON UNDERSTANDING AND AGREEMENT AMONG STAKEHOLDERS CONCERNED.”-MS. STRAWBERRY ALBERTO, NUTRITION OFFICER II.
Ms. Alberto then proceeded to explain the process of policy review and evaluation, the different types of policy evaluation (administrative evaluation, content evaluation, implementation evaluation, and impact evaluation), and the standards for conducting policy evaluation. This includes the feasibility of the policy (taking into account the time, resource, and expertise available), coordination and cooperation with involved stakeholders/players, and a good feedback mechanism. She also mentioned the steps in conducting policy evaluation, methods to use, and the evaluation criteria, and concluded her presentation with the statement that policy review is vital in determining whether there is a need to revise or repel the policy and/or provide recommendations for improvement and future steps.
The webinar was a way to address the need to understand and familiarize the process of crafting laws and policies expressed by the participants during the MELLPI Pro roll-out trainings, and was a way to help the participants to understand the need to review policy and also appreciate its huge role and importance in improving the nutritional status in the region as a whole. (Author – Nutrition Officer II Antonette Gail D. Garcia)
