The National Nutrition Council Region IV-A (NNC IV-A) commends the Communicators' Network for Nutrition in Region IV-A (CNN4A), for its achievements in assisting the National Nutrition Council – Calabarzon relative to the promotion of good nutrition to all Filipinos.
Composed of Information Officers from local government units and media practitioners from Calabarzon region, the architect of the group, Ms. Carina Santiago, the National Nutrition Council Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator of Calabarzon, envisioned CNN4A as a prime mover of good nutrition advocacies in the region.
In a statement, RNPC Santiago lauded the organization for its volunteerism, passion and dedication to the cause of nutrition. She added that the group has proven to be a very reliable partner of the NNC and a source of inspiration for other groups in the region to follow. The group conducts its meetings quarterly and guided by NNC, with regular technical hour sessions to enhance their knowledge and skills on nutrition. Lakbay Aral to areas with best practices on implementation of local nutrition program implementation namely in Barangay Maharlika East, 2015 Regional Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Committee, and the barangay where National and Regional-declared winner Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar (OBNS) Ms. Efigenia Javier is serving; and Barangay San Francisco in Dasmariñas city, 2016 1st placer Regional Outstanding BNC. Developing the capacities of the members through orientations and trainings was also conducted, specifically on Radio Broadcasting and Radio Plugs Production by the Manila Broadcasting Company and Newswriting/Editing and Writing for Social Media. The group is also actively seen in the regional initiated activities such as annual nutrition month celebration, regional nutrition awarding ceremony, stakeholders forum, program implementation review, and launching of SISA seal, to name a few.
Upon its formation, CNN4A's Past President Janet G. Buelo, together with its members buckled down to work immediately strategizing on how to put into fruition one project after the other. CNN4A and the NNC, together with other line-agencies successfully conducted the first ever Media Service Caravan in Rizal province. A wide variety of nutrition-related activities, such as; feeding program, orientation on good nutrition, film viewing, de-worming among others were conducted. This was followed by a series of caravan held in Lucena City and Batangas City to promote good nutrition to hundreds of nutritionally-at-risk pregnant, lactating women and mothers with underweight preschoolers.
The print media was another instrument the organization maximizes to full use, publishing various nutrition-related newsletters in Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon. CNN4A also published three Nutri-komiks, underscoring topics such as the importance of breastfeeding, nutrition in emergencies and complementary feeding, respectively. The Chronicles, which narrates the yearly achievements of CNN4A, is another sterling feat of the organization.
Media practitioners from the organization continues to air long-running and widely successful nutrition programs through local radio stations such as; Katumbas ay Biyaya, One Nutrition, One Nation, 10 Kumainments Radio spots/plugs and Nutrition School on the Air. These programs espouse wide-ranging topics on nutrition.
"We could have not done all those things without the cooperation of everybody. We are all in this together and it's been fun and a great journey. Our deepest appreciation to NNC and Ma'am Carina Santiago for their wholehearted support to the group. And CNN4A is sure to make more splash relative to the promotion of good nutrition in the coming years," remarked a happy President Buelo.
