The Regional Sub-Committee on Nutrition of CALABARZON (RSCN IV-A) held its 1st quarter meeting on 12 April 2012 at Center for Health Development IV-A Conference Room, Project 4, Quezon City. Assistant Regional Director Corazon I. Flores, MD of Center for Health Development-DOH presided the meeting in behalf of the Chair, Regional Director Edgardo M. Gonzaga. Present in the meeting were Regional Directors and representatives from different member agencies which includes Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Philippine Information Agency (PIA), Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (TESDA) and Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR). Also present were Provincial Nutrition Officer (PNAO) of Rizal, Nutrition Officer (NO) of Lucena City and City Nutrition Action Officer (CNAO) of Cavite City.
Discussed in the meeting were a) 2011 RSCN Accomplishments; b) 2012 RSCN Plans and Activities; c) 2011 Operation Timbang (OPT) Results of Pre School Children (PSC); d) 2010-2011 Operation Timbang (OPT) Results of School Children (SC); e) Updates on Kalusugang Pangkalahatan (DOH); and f) Expansion of RSCN membership to include PNAOs and CNAO of Lucena City being a Highly Urbanized City in the region.

Ma. Eileen B. Blanco, OIC-RNPC of NNC Region IV presented the 2011 RSCN Accomplishments as well as the 2012 Plans and Activities. Her presentation focused on inter-agencies and sectoral meetings and celebrations attended by members of the RSCN, Monitoring and Evaluation of Local Level Plan of Implementation (MELLPI) and the Search for Regional Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar (ROBNS), Barangay Trainings on Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) in Quezon Province, evaluation of NNC-RO of Nutriskwela radio station (Radyo Kaisahan-Arya 107.7) in Sariaya, Quezon. She updated the RSCN members that NNC has been continuously airing drama series and nutrition messages in local radio stations in the region and assisting LGUs in nutrition newsletter publications.
For 2012, RSCN will work on passing resolutions on: 1) establishment of breastfeeding rooms in regional offices of RSCN members and 2) adoption of PPAN 2011-2016.
The 2011 OPT Results of Pre School Children and School Children were presented by Frederich Christian S. Tan, NOII-NNC Region IV and Dr. Analiza T. Araojo, OIC-NHU of DepEd Region IV-A respectively. Based on the 2011 OPT results, Quezon province ranked first among the five provinces in CALABARZON with the highest malnutrition prevalence rate (MPR) of 12.86%, while Lucena City ranked first among the cities with MPR of 10.11%. The municipality of Jomalig topped the ranking for the municipalities in the region with MPR of 32.29%.
Among school children in CALABARZON, Dr. Araojo explained that malnutrition remains to be a problem for the past three years (2009-2011). Factors contributing to the poor nutritional status of school children were identified which include 1) lack of weighing scales in central schools; 2) lack of training for teachers in getting the height and weight of SCs; and c) lack of awareness in nutrition programs of pupils, students, teachers and school administrators. However, Dr. Araojo added that DepEd has been addressing the problem by 1) purchasing 100 weighing scales to be distributed to schools; 2) conducting of supplementary feeding using garden produced foods in schools; 3) close coordination with government agencies on health and nutrition programs etc.
The committee also agreed to pass a resolution on the expansion of RSCN members to include PNAOs of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon and CNAO of Highly Urbanized City-Lucena City for effective implementation of nutrition programs in all levels.
OIC Blanco informed RSCN members that NNC will be conducting a Regional Recipe Development Contest in connection with the Nutrition Celebration with the theme “Pagkain ng gulay ugaliin, araw-araw itong ihain” which will be held on 26 April 2012 at QMMC Compound. She encouraged the group to join the said activity.