Region III

Details: Category: Region 3; Published: 25 April 2019

Central Luzon Regional Development Council (RDC) III adopts the Central Luzon Regional Plan of Action for Nutrition (RPAN), 2019-2022 during the 11^th Regular Full Council Meeting of the Central Luzon RDC III held on 22 March 2019 at Bakasyunan Resort and Conference Center, Iba, Zambales.

Ms. Ana Maria B. Rosaldo, Nutrition Program Coordinator of National Nutrition Council-Region III, presented the Central Luzon RPAN 2017-2022, along with the current nutrition situation of the country and of Central Luzon based on the results of the National Nutrition Survey of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the DOST in 2013 and 2015.

The RDC, having recognized that the Province of Aurora is faced with the greatest challenge on stunting and with Central Luzon having the highest rate of overweight under-five children in the country at 6.1%, unanimously approved the adoption of the Central Luzon RPAN 2019-2022 through 15^th RDC III Resolution No. 03-30-2019. http://www.nnc.gov.ph/index.php/component/phocadownload/file/1733-rdc-adopting-the-central-luzon-regional-plan-of-action-for-nutrition.html. The RDC III is led by Angeles City Mayor Edgardo D. Pamintuan and RDC Vice Chair and NEDA III Regional Director Leon M. Dacanay, Jr., with NEDA III Assistant Regional Director EnP Agustin C. Mendoza as the RDC III Secretary.

The Central Luzon RPAN, 2019-2022 is one of the strategies, formulated through a participatory, inter-sectoral and multi-level process, that aims to fully operationalize the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN), 2017-2022. PPAN is the country’s blueprint in achieving improved nutrition and serves as the framework for nutrition action.

The Central Luzon RPAN contains key elements expected to contribute to the attainment of the PPAN, 2017-2022 national goals and targets. These key elements include the following:

1. Focus on the first 1000 days of life. The first 1000 days of life refer to the period of pregnancy up to the first
two years of the child.
2. Complementation of nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive programs. The RPAN 201-2022, in full
recognition of the nutritional problems and its dimensions, identified a mix of interventions appropriate for
the region consisting of three distinct but complementing types of programs such as nutrition-specific,
nutrition-sensitive, and enabling management programs as identified in the PPAN program framework.
3. Intensified mobilization of local government units. Mobilization of LGUs will aim to transform low-intensity
nutrition programs to those that will deliver targeted nutritional outcomes.
4. Reaching geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs) and communities of indigenous
peoples.

5. Complementation of actions of national, sub-national and local governments. As LGUs are charged with
the delivery of services, including those related to nutrition, the national and sub-national government
creates the enabling environment through appropriate policies and continuous capacity building of various
stakeholders.

On 9 January 2019, the Central Luzon Regional Nutrition Committee (RNC) approved the RPAN 2017-2022 and agreed to initiate efforts leading to the implementation of its programs, projects and activities. RNC Resolution No. 1 Series 2019 on the Adoption of the Central Luzon RPAN 2017-2022 can be viewed from the NNC website and by clicking this link. http://www.nnc.gov.ph/index.php/component/phocadownload/file/1565-rnc-resolution-no-1-adopting-the-central-luzon-regional-plan-of-action-for-nutrition-2019-2022.html

For more information about the PPAN, 2017-2022 and the Central Luzon RPAN, 2019-2022, please get in touch with the NNC-Region III Secretariat at 0921.565.2830.

Author: Ana Maria B. Rosaldo

Details: Category: Region 3; Published: 10 April 2019

Pinggang Pinoy and 10 Kumainments Reg3 rev Did you know that contaminated food and water are the usual sources of infection that cause diarrhea?

The Department of Health (DOH) reported that a combination of diarrhea and gastroenteritis of presumed infectious origin is the third leading cause of death among children under five years old. Diarrhea can be prevented by drinking water from safe sources. Clear water is not necessarily safe to drink. Boiling water kills almost all potential germs.

The revised Nutritional Guidelines for Filipinos (NGF) recommends "consume safe foods and water to prevent diarrhea and other food and water-borne diseases". The NGF was developed by nutrition experts led by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (FNRI-DOST). Aside from the NGF, the National Nutrition Council promotes the Ten Kumainments, in laymanized terms, laid on a bread tablet so that the “masang Pilipino” could easily understand. As in, 10 Kumainments No. 6 says “Tiyaking malinis at ligtas ang ating pagkain at tubig.”

Food should always be properly prepared and cooked well. For instance, fruits and vegetables should be washed thoroughly in clean water before eating or cooking. The public is encouraged to eat home-cooked foods. Also, always cover food to keep it safe from contaminants, insects and other pests.

Proper hygiene, such as regular washing of hands before eating and after using the toilet, should also be practiced. Here are three things to remember and practice: 1) washing of hands regularly; 2) drinking safe water; and 3) eating clean foods to prevent diarrhea and other gastrointestinal diseases.

Summer months are here. We cannot just beat the heat but we can still maintain our good health by keeping ourselves hydrated, drink eight (8) glasses of clean water daily and become nutritionally-fit by eating a variety of food everyday.

Know, live and promote good nutrition!

Author: Angelita M. Pasos
Nutrition Officer III

Details: Category: Region 3; Published: 01 March 2019

2018 RNAC Program The 2018 Regional Nutrition Awarding Ceremony (RNAC) is over. . .

The awards and trophies, along with the cash incentives (for Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholars) were brought home. .

Guests and those who witnessed the excitement and jubilees of the champions had gone home and continued with their regular tasks. . .

But for sure, the euphoric feeling of winning an award after years of dedication, commitment and perseverance still lingers in the hearts of champions.

And so are we, the NNC-Region III Secretariat, the punong abala during the 2018 RNAC.

Allow us first to thank all the local government units and the 30-members of the Regional Nutrition Committee, specifically the Regional Nutrition Evaluation Team, for the support extended to us during the Monitoring and Evaluation of Local Level Plan Implementation and Search for Regional Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar. For without your cooperation, no champions will be recognized and no RNAC will be staged.

Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.

The Secretariat will continuously perform our mandate in formulating policies and in coordinating various programs and projects in nutrition among national government agencies, local government units, NGOs and private sectors involved in food and nutrition and health promotion.

As an expression of thanks, allow us to share snippets of information about the 2018 RNAC. Just so, to revive the euphoric feeling of recognition for a job well done and to inspire others to follow the path that the champions trekked in order to make it to the top.

The Awarding of Certificates of Appreciation to members of the Regional Nutrition Evaluation Team, Nutrition Action Officers and District/City Nutrition Program Coordinators.

As a fitting venue for giving awards of recognition, provincial/city/municipal nutrition action officers and District/City Nutrition Program Coordinators of selected LGUs, members of the RTWG and RNET were also given certificates of recognition with special citations as Service Award, for 10 years and above and for those who retired and will retire from the service in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

Details: Category: Region 3; Published: 18 March 2019

MAO On 11 February 2019, the National Nutrition Council (NNC), led by Nutrition Officer II Katherine Villanueva, together with its media partner, Mediazone Production met with Honorable Ricardo R. Bitong, Mayor and Chairperson of the Municipal Nutrition Committee (MNC) of Casiguran, Aurora for an Orientation Meeting on NNC’s Nutriskwela Community Radio Network Program.

The NNC’s Nutriskwela Community Radio Network Program establishes community radio stations to promote nutrition and development in areas with high prevalence of malnutrition and not reached by commercial radio broadcast. The NNC is the only government agency allowed by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to set-up community radio stations.

Since the program started in 2008, there are now 44 Nutriskwela community radio stations in 16 regions in the country. As NNC intends to establish additional Nutriskwela radio stations in priority areas of the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition 2017-2022 which have high rates of stunting among children under five years of age, the municipality of Casiguran, Aurora was identified as one of the potential areas for Nutriskwela expansion. Based on 2017 OPT stunting prevalence rate of Casiguran, Aurora is 12.8% (0-5 years old) while wasting prevalence rate is 4.33 % (0-5 years old). The NTC also found the municipality to be technically suitable for establishing a community radio station.

Details: Category: Region 3; Published: 01 March 2019

RNAC

The awarding ceremony was well-attended by 270 guests, LGU-delegates and awardees coming from the 7 provinces, 14 cities and 19 municipalities of Central Luzon and the regional network. Two (2) local chief executives were among the delegates, Mayor Nerivi M. Martinez of Talavera, Nueva Ecija and Mayor Jose Gorospe of Dilasag, Aurora, and nineteen (19) Barangay Captains of the 22 barangays visited by the RNET during the search for the Regional Outstanding BNSs and Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Committee in the Region awardees, during the event. Almost everyone was delighted to come in their red-black attire, which also expressed their burning passion and dedication as nutrition workers, partners or allies, and nutrition supporters.

A solemn invocation led by Rev. Father Edilberto V. Santos, retired Benedictine Priest of “Bale Pari” (house of the priests) at the Social Action Center of Pampanga (SACOP), City of San Fernando aroused spiritually of the participants during the opening. His prayer took longer than expected because he established connections from the time God created the world to the propagation of fruits and vegetables, to associating the nutrition profession to Jesus Christ’s acknowledgement of people who gave him food at the time he was malnourished and to the food included in the song “Bahay-Kubo” as written in the Holy Scriptures. The singing of the National Anthem was graced with a ceremonial rite of raising the DOH, DA and NNC banners and the Philippine flag by four police inspectors from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), accompanied by the acapela singing of Mr. Mark Francis E. Reyes, Bet ng Bayan finalist and adopted singer-son of NNC-Region III.

Details: Category: Region 3; Published: 14 March 2019

Article Buwan na naman ng Marso, isang mahalagang panahon para sa ating mga kababaihan lalo na ang mga nasa pamamahala at nangangalaga nang kapakanan ng mga bata at pamilya sa ating komunidad at bansa.

Ating alamin, ano nga ba ang magagawa ng mga kababaihan sa kanilang lugar na nasasakupan? Paano magiging isang kapakipakinabang na gawain ang isang sinumpaang tungkulin? Kamakailan lamang ay nagkaroon ng pagasasanay ang isang grupo ng mga kababaihan sa bayan ng Casiguran, Aurora. Ito ay naganap noong ika-27 at 28 ng Pebrero 2019 sa Session Hall ng Sangguniang Bayan ng Casiguran. Sila ay ang labingpito (17) na mapapalad at ika nga ay “the chosen few”, ang mga kababaihang tinaguriang Health and Nutrition Workers: Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNSs), Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) at Rural health Midwives (RHMs). Sila ang mga representative ng limang (5) “sentinel barangays” sa ilalim ng proyekto ng National Nutrition Council na “Local Nutrition Early Warning System” o LNEWS.