It was one of the year-end activities full of hope during the 2021 Regional Implementation Review of the Local Nutrition Early Warning System for Food and Nutrition Security (LNEWS-FNS) in Calabarzon areas last December 7 at St. Jude Coop and Events Hotel, Tayabas City.
The objective of the activity is to ensure the sustainability of the LNEWS-FNS in Calabarzon areas, assess the status of implementation of the system, identify good practices, strategies, and program gaps.
In the Review, NPC Carina Santiago virtually acknowledged the presence of the participants and gave her encouraging welcome remarks. She also gave an overview of the program in Calabarzon and the review of program of Implementation in CY 2020 and 2021.
The facilitators were: NO III Lourdes B. Orongan, NO II Edward C. Paglinawan, and PNFP Mary Emerene Pingol. They asked the participating LGUs to share the issues they encountered during the implementation of the project and raised initial recommendations to ensure sustainability of the LNEWS-FNS in their respective areas.
After the discussion of the issues, the participants were asked to update the form for functionality of the LNEWS team and to complete the workshop template on the implementation of the program in their LGUs. Ms. Jessa Theanne Isaguirre of Lucena City presented her output after the completion of the template.
Subsequently, the LNEWS FNS areas will be preparing for the submission of their outputs for the National Program Implementation Review on December 22.
The Review was attended by representatives from the Provincial Nutrition Action Office of Quezon, Municipal Nutrition Action Officer (MNAO), Assistant MNAO, Nutrition Focal, Agricultural Technologist, and Project Development Officer.
It was in 2015 that the LNEWS-FNS was established in the region to monitor and analyze relevant information that may foretell a possible crisis related to food shortage and health problems thru regular and periodic collection of relevant data to determine status of food supply and food security in specific areas.
NNC–Calabarzon has established the program in four (4) areas in Quezon Province, which includes the city of Lucena and the municipalities of Burdeos, Catanauan and San Narciso. Areas were selected based on the high prevalence of underweight and stunting among 0-71 months children in CY 2015-2016 and among 0-59 months children in 2017-2018 based on the results of OPT Plus.
By: Mary Emerene P. Pingol
