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“Huli man pero dahil magaling ay nagtagumpay pa rin”. This quotation clearly depicts the launching of Nutrition Month in Central Luzon held on 21 July 2014 during the Unified Flag Raising Ceremony. The event jointly hosted by the National Nutrition Council Regional Office in Central Luzon, Department of Health – Regional Health Office 3, and Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 3 was recorded as among the most attended for the year since it brought in 40 agencies and close to 845 government personnel.
An audio-video invocation inspired by people’s gratitude on survival in past calamities and petitions for building resiliency and increasing strength to face any future emergency or disaster started the event. This was followed by the series of recitation of pledges of commitments: Panunumpa sa Watawat, Panunumpa ng Kawani ng Gobyerno, Panatang Makapalay, and Nutrition Pledge. The Panatang Makapalay emphasized the importance of conserving rice grain or kernel, a very simple act to prevent hunger and ensure food security among the population but can largely contribute in solving country’s malnutrition problem.
On the other hand, the Nutrition Pledge led by NPC Flor solicited commitment to support, promote, advocate and practice the 10 Nutritional Guidelines for Filipinos (NGF). This was supported by Regional Director and Chair of the Regional Nutrition Committee (RNC) for Central Luzon, Dr. Leonita P. Gorgolon in her message while RNC Vice-Chair and Regional Director of the Department of Agriculture, Dir. Andrew Villacorta zeroed in on NGF’s message Number 10 to remind the majority of the attendees on the practical ways on how to avoid suffering from or reduce health risks brought about by Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). Director Villacorta emphasized also the call for a higher level of preparedness to calamities as the Nutrition Month Theme suggests and that as part of his message.
Read more: 2014 Nutrition Month Celebration in Central Luzon
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City of San Fernando – The National Nutrition Council – Regional Office for Central Luzon (III) in partnership with the Department of Health – Regional Office III (DOH – RO III) and United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) took the first initiative after a decade of silence in reorganizing the Regional Bantay ASIN Task Force (RBATF) as another milestone in the achievement of its aim to ensure the sustainability of the implementation of the ASIN Law and to guarantee the iodization of all salt being produced, sold or traded, and utilized in the region. The reorganization-forum held on May 28, 2014 at King’s Royale Hotel and Restaurant, Bacolor, Pampanga was attended by total of 20 agencies and 3 media partners.
Mr. Edward Otico, Associate Consultant of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) represented UNICEF and acted as the lead facilitator. The need to understand the purpose of the forum was addressed by Mr. Otico who gave the overview of the forum which includes the background of the National Salt Iodization Program (NSIP) and the rationale on the reorganization of the RBATF in the promotion of the strict implementation of the provisions of the ASIN Law. The session was followed by Ms. Margarita Santos-Natividad, Nutritionist-Dietitian of the DOH – RO III presenting the Central Luzon’s facts and figures excerpted from the 2011 National Nutrition Survey by the Food and Nutrition Institute and the importance of salt as the most cost-effective measure to prevent Iodine Deficiency Disorders in the population. She stressed on the physiological and physical implications of having inadequate iodine in the diet which can result to irreversible conditions like cretinism and mental retardation among the children.
The fight against Iodine Deficiency Disorder (IDD) is a multi-agency effort and thus Nutrition Program Coordinator Florinda V. Panlilio of NNC Region III presented the crucial roles of each agency in the success of the promotion, implementation and monitoring of the National Salt Iodization Program (NSIP) and the Act to promote Salt Iodization Nationwide (ASIN) Law. As the co-facilitator, she challenged every agency present in the forum to be involved in the achievement of the “Universal Salt Iodization”.
Prior to the attendance to the forum, NNC RO III has already requested the participating agencies to identify their designated and alternate RBATF Focal Staff. As re-entry agreement, agency-members were enjoined to contribute their roles towards sustainable and effective strategies on the implementation of NSIP and ASIN Law.
It was agreed by the participants during the mini write-shop that in order to strengthen the implementation of the law, there should be strict control and monitoring in the production of Iodized Salt to ensure that adequately iodized supplies will be available all establishments, markets and even in every household. The role of the Local Government Units in regulating compliance is seen as very crucial in the success of this endeavor. Whereas, all agency members recognized their role in advocacy and creating greater awareness with the Central Luzon Media Partners to lead in information dissemination and mass campaign about the promotion of iodized salt.
Challenging as it was, the agency members altogether recited and signed the Pledge of Commitment as an expression of their support to the various initiatives from capacity building to planning and performing including documentation of lessons and good practices.
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In anticipation of the upcoming Nutrition Month, July of every year, the National Nutrition Council Central Office posted a contest in search of the most appropriate theme in the context of Nutrition in Emergencies. Among the contest rules, this year’s theme should stress the importance of increased awareness and higher level of preparedness which can be achieved through the prevention of hunger and worsening of malnutrition during calamities. NNC, with the help of partner agencies, Local Government Units (LGUs) and stakeholders is challenged to plan for activities that would enable the people and communities to be nutritionally prepared especially during disasters.
The nation-wide search for the 2014 Nutrition Month Theme that started on January of this year was put to an end when Ms. Desiree P. Reyes of Los Ban?os, Laguna rendered the theme that gained the NNC Technical Committee’s vote for approval on March 26, 2014. “KALAMIDAD PAGHANDAAN: GUTOM AT MALNUTRISYON AGAPAN!” was declared the winning theme selected from among the 304 entries submitted from all over the Philippines.
The 2014 Nutrition Month Theme aims to uphold interventions in addressing the nutrition needs of the Filipinos extending from preparedness, response, recovery and rehabilitation phases. It also aims to trigger appropriate,coherent and timely response from the Nutrition Cluster at all levels. Moreover, it stresses a public responsibility to develop an attitude of “I am ready” especially among the most nutritionally vulnerable population and hazard-prone areas in the country.
It is believed that underpinning nutrition awareness is a great key to better prepare and efficiently respond to Nutrition in Emergencies!
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- Category: Region 3
The NNC Region III after having formally organized the Local Media Group in 2013 has sustained its partnership based on the thrust that nutrition information dissemination is fastest and has a wider scale coverage through mass media. Hence, the promotion through various mass media strategies of the Nutritional Guidelines for Filipinos (NGF) which is aimed at enhancing nutrition awareness and creating nutrition and health-oriented communities region wide was contracted to selected media partners with the signing of Project Contracts held on May 9, 2014 at Regional Health Office III Conference Hall, DOH Compound, Maimpis, City of San Fernando, Pampanga.. NNC Region III convened the Central Luzon Media Group (CLMG) to disseminate the approved Local Media Plan and witness the signing of the contracts.
Ms. Angelita M. Pasos, Nutrition Officer III of NNC Region III presented the 2014 approved activities contained in the Local Media Plan. According to her, the plan was an output of the discussion during the first quarter meeting of the CLMG with all of the recommendations incorporated prior submission to NNC-Central Office.
Nutrition Program Coordinator, Ms. Florinda V. Panlilio was very thankful to NPC Rhodora G. Maestre of Region II who was formerly the OIC of Region III for prioritizing the organization of the CLMG among her other major achievements in the region. According to her, the group is counted among the strong partners and networks of NNC Regional Office 3 because of their countless contributions in the pursuit of making the Nutritional Guidelines a way of life of every Filipino. . The local television, CLTV 36, radio stations RW 95.1 and GVAM and print media, CL Newsweek individually expressed their commitment and unlimited offers to highlight any nutrition related news and events for free.
The activity was highlighted by theceremonial contract signing between the selected Media Managers and NPC Panlilio witnessed by NNC Region III staff and other members of CLMG.
Successful as it was, this marked the initiation of mass media promotion of the 10 NGF.
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The National Nutrition Council Region III will be conducting the Search for the Regional Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar (ROBNS) and Regional Green Banner Awardees for CY 2013 covering the 7 provinces (Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales) and 14 cities (Angeles, Balanga, Cabanatuan, Gapan, Mabalacat, Malolos, Meycauayan, Olongapo, Palayan, San Fernando, San Jose, San Jose Del Monte, Science City of Muñoz and Tarlac).
Validation of city and provincial entries for ROBNS will cover the period of March 25 to June 20, 2014 back to back with the conduct of the region-wide Monitoring and Evaluation of Local Level Plan Implementation (MELLPI) of nutrition programs by the Regional Nutrition Evaluation Team (RNET). The RNET is composed of the Regional Nutrition Committee member agency representatives from Regional Health Office, DA, DSWD, DepEd, DILG, POPCOM, NEDA, NFA, PIA, DPWH, DOLE, DBM and NNC.
The objectives of the MELLPI are 1) to assess the efficiency of local level plan implementation in terms of the outreach of activities undertaken, funds expended, management and support given by LCEs and other implementing agencies; 2) to measure changes in weight status of preschool and school children during the evaluation; 3) to determine the extent to which nutrition is integrated into local development plans and programs; and 4) to advocate for the continuing support for local nutrition programs.
During the visit, the RNET will conduct barangay desk evaluation of the barangay nutrition plan and validation weighing of at least 10% of total preschool children weighed based on 2013 OPT report. The evaluators shall randomly weigh children of different nutritional status (Normal, Severely Underweight, Underweight or Overweight).
Read more: Search for the Regional Outstanding BNS and Regional Green Banner Awardees for CY 2013
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For Calendar Year (CY) 2013, NNC Region III has 2 contenders for Consistent Regional Outstanding Winner in Nutrition (CROWN) Maintenance Award namely: Tarlac City on its second year and Paombong Bulacan on its first year potential maintenance award. Evaluation by the Interagency National Evaluation Team (NET) was scheduled on April 22-25, 2014 in Tarlac City and April 28-30, 2014 in Paombong, Bulacan.
Representatives from the Departments of Health, Agriculture, Interior and Local Government, Social Welfare and Development, National Economic Development Authority, the academe and non-government organizations comprised this year’s interagency NET led by the National Nutrition Council Central Office Staff. The NET validated and deliberated if Tarlac City based on 2013 performance against PPAN canreach the required cut-off score of 95 points while 90 points must be achieved by Paombong, Bulacan.
During the visit, the team conducted desk review of the accomplishment reports of the local agency members of the Nutrition Committee, validatedchanges in weights of at least 10% of pre-schoolers and visited nutrition project areas within the randomly selected barangays in Tarlac City and Paombong, Bulacan. Customarily, the initial findings are presented to the members of the nutrition committees during the last day of the visitshighlighting the good practices adopted by the LGUs while the NET takes every opportunity to advocate to Local Chief Executives some recommendation for improvement.
