4 March 2014 - The Regional Technical Working Group (RTWG) on Nutrition committed to visit the nutritionally depressed municipality, Jomalig in Quezon during the Special meeting held at the CHD IV-A Building in Quezon City.
Ranking consistently first in terms of high prevalence in malnutrition in the region as well as in the national level for more than a year, the RTWG took the challenge to visit and experience themselves the way of living in the said community.
It was second quarter of last year when the group was able to meet with the Jomalig Municipal Nutrition Committee headed by its Chair, Mayor Rodelo Tena, MNAO Ms. Liza Eyatid, MHO Dr. Rita Ang and other members. During the meeting, several issues were raised which the MNC believe have caused the consistent high prevalence of the municipality and they are as follows: low prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding (34.0%); incapacitated BNS; food insecurity; poor health seeking behavior; poor knowledge on proper health and nutrition practices and; presence of illness such as diarrhea and pneumonia.
Thus, the RTWG planned the visit in the area to provide initial assistance to the community specifically to the families with underweight 0-5 year old children. The following agencies in the region made the following commitments in support to the upcoming activity:
DOST - provision of water quality testing and food mixes such as Joemix for complementary feeding to children 6-23 months old;
DA – provision of seeds or seedlings, gardening equipment and training on gardening;
DOH-CHD - provision of supplementary feeding for two (2) identified priority barangays and assorted drugs worth Php 20, 000.00;
NNC - provision of trainings on Nutrition Program Management (NPM) and Basic Course for BNS to Nutritionally Depressed Barangays and logistics such as height board
DepEd – provision of school-based feeding program
DSWD - Conduct of supplementary feeding program for Day Care Childr
TESDA - provision of scholarship grant
BFAR - training on fish and seaweed processing & provision of utensils and dryer (fish & seaweed)
DOLE - provision of coconut livelihood program (including materials & training)
The said activity of the RTWG will pushed through on 26-28 May 2014.The group is certain that through convergence of efforts and services by various nutrition stakeholders and the Jomalig Municipal Nutrition Committee, malnutrition can be lessen and eventually eradicated.
