NNC Calabarzon’s 46th Digital Nutrition Month Forum in July 14, successfully brought together 109 nutrition stakeholders to tackle the reduction and prevention of stunting in the region and nationwide -- centering on the theme, “Batang Pinoy, Sana Tall… Iwas Stunting Sama All! Iwas All din sa COVID-19!”,
The virtual event was co-facilitated by the Communicators’ Network for Nutrition in Region IV-A (CNN-4A) Vice-President for Broadcast Media, Mr. Daniel Castro. Ms. Lourdes B. Orongan gave the invocation while Ms. Carina Z. Santiago, Calabarzon’s Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator welcomed all the participants. Ms. Santiago warmly encouraged everyone to embrace the new normal and be more resourceful and creative in executing activities that will help disseminate the objectives of the nutrition month.
In an inspirational message, Dr. Paula Paz M. Sydiongco, Assistant Regional Director of DOH Calabarzon reminded everyone of the stunting rate in Calabarzon and reiterated that good nutrition is not only the key to building strong immunity and protection against illness and infections but also supports recovery to undernourishment and various forms of illness. She encouraged the participants to focus on implementing nutrition and related interventions such as the First 1000 Days (F1K). Dr. Sydiongco represented Dr. Eduardo C. Janairo, the Regional Director of DOH.
That nutrition programs are extremely vital in addressing stunting in this challenging time of Covid-19 pandemic -- was the focus of the keynote lecture delivered by Dr. Martin Parreno, Policy Program Officer of UN World Food Programme. He emphasized the following as key in addressing Stunting: 1) need to address wasting among children to be able to address stunting; 2) invest in nutrition programs and interventions; 3) promote agro biodiversity; 4) transform diets to more of fruits and vegetables; 5) awareness raising on the now modernized eight (8) basic food groups, to include breastfeeding, and which has the aim of improving micronutrient intake; 6) know the importance of minimum diet diversity for children 6-23 months old; and 7) importance of immediate latch-on of baby to mother and continued breastfeeding even in this time of pandemic, following handwashing and proper hygiene protocol by the mother.
Dr. Parreno also offered the following actions, innovations and recommendations to continue the works on Stunting Prevention under the New Normal: 1) Prioritize poor households with pregnant women in the Social Amelioration Program (SAP), and provide room for new enrollees if not included in the Listahanan; 2) Invest on specialized nutritious food; 3) Family Food Packs should be nutritious (in designing food packs, use FNRI Food Composition Table (FCT) and Philippine Dietary Reference Intake (PDRI) to calculate nutrient contents; 4) Establish teleconsultation (pre/postnatal; nutrition counselling); and 5) Promote MUAC for women of Reproductive Age (WRA) to self-monitor nutritional status.
The lecture served as an eye opener and guided and inspired the Calabarzon stakeholders to do their part in ensuring food security to minimize the impact of the pandemic in the nutrition situation in the community, region and country as a whole.
The numerous policy issuances to promote breastfeeding to reduce and prevent stunting was presented by Ms. Jellie Anne Palencia, Nutritionist-Dietitian IV of DOH-Center for Health Development Region IV-A. She mentioned them as follows:
1) DOH Advisory No. 16, “Guidelines on the acceptance and distribution of infant formula, breastmilk substitutes, feeding bottles, artificial nipples and teats during Emergency and Disaster Situation;
2) DOH Regional Advisory No. 21, “Continuity of Antenatal, Intrapartum, Postpartum and Neonatal Services during the COVID-19 Pandemic” to ensure the continuous delivery of health and nutrition services amid the pandemic;
3) DOH Memorandum No. 0237, “Interim Guidelines for the Delivery of Nutrition Service in the Context of COVID-19 Pandemic”;
4) DOH Advisoy No. 13, “Continuation of Routine Immunization During Enhanced Community Quarantine Due to COVID-19”
Ms. Palencia also emphasized the importance of halting the cycle of malnutrition and focusing on the First 1000 Days to ensure optimum physical and mental growth for a child and avoid stunting. She likewise invited the stakeholders to participate in the upcoming Virtual Dissemination Forum entitled, “Fulfilling the Commitment to Deliver Critical Intervention During the First 1000 Days of a Child’s Life: Adapting to the New Normal.” It is intended to review and discuss the importance of the First 1000 Days.
Further highlighting the event was an interesting hands-on experience by Ms. Graciella Ramos (MNAO of Candelaria, Quezon) on how her municipality implemented the F1K Program. She said that they took these various practical steps to ensure the successful conduct of projects and programs: establishment of home gardens for the program beneficiaries and Gulayan sa Bakuran Contest; nutrition education classes for fathers and mothers; intervention for nutritionally-at-risk pregnant women; distribution of weighing scales to different barangays; and Training on Philippine Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (PIMAM) for the frontliners in nutrition (the Barangay Nutrition Scholars).
Breastfeeding advocates also took active part in the presentations that followed. Ms. Sharon Lopez-Geronimo (President of Breastfeeding Ala Eh!, a breastfeeding support group situated in Batangas province) shared their experiences with the Regional Nutrition Cluster (RNC) of Calabarzon particularly during the Taal Volcano eruption where they were able to carry on with the promotion and encouragement of continuous breastfeeding even in evacuation centers. Prior to the volcanic eruption, the group has also been involved in significant activities that include the “Breastmilk Donation Drive”, distribution of “Go Bags” for pregnant mothers and “Buntis Day” (an online Breastfeeding 101 Seminar and Online Counseling).
An exclusive breastfeeding mother, Ms. Myrna S. Jamita (of Barangay Tumbaga I of Sariaya, Quezon) happily shared how the F1K program effectively promoted her child’s growth and development. She actively followed exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months and provided nutritious complementary food upon completed 6 months for her son, while continuing breastfeeding. Even amid the community quarantine, she still breastfeeds her child and never had to spend money on formula milk.
More excitement surrounded the webinar in between discussions as the participants joined the online games using the “Kahoot!” app. It was to increase awareness and knowledge among stakeholders on the 2020 Nutrition Month theme and talking points, status of stunting problem and its’ relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. All winners are to be given cash prizes.
Messages of constant support were conveyed by: Ms. Gina Gacusan, ARD of NEDA Region IV-A; Dr. Alexander Madrigal, Regional Director of DOST Calabarzon; Mayor Amben Amante of San Pablo City and Nutrition Committee Chair; Regional Executive Director Nonito Tamay, of DENR Region IV-A; Ms. Helen Peñalba, Cavite PNAO, and DWLC-Radyo Pilipinas Lucena.
The Online Nutrition Month Stakeholder’s Forum was actively attended and supported by : the Provincial/City/Municipal Nutrition Action Officers (P/C/MNAOs), District/City Nutrition Program Coordinator (D/CNPCs); Regional Sub-Committee on Nutrition (RSCN) Member Agencies; Regional Technical Working Group (RTWG) on Nutrition members; Communicators’ Network for Nutrition in Region IV-A (CNN IV-A) officers and members; and the Federation of Barangay Nutrition Scholars of Region IV-A (FBNS IV-A) officers and members.
By: Alistaire Anne M. Matociños, RND
