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ro4b 2017 cebu technical exchange

With the aim of continuously strengthening and intensifying the nutrition promotion and advocacy in the region, the regional media groups of Region IV, PROMO Nutri Com* and CNN 4-A* participated in a technical exchange and planning workshop with MIND7*, the regional media group of Central Visayas, last May 26-27, 2017 at Diamond Suites and Residences, Cebu City.

The activity aimed to exchange information on the best practices, strategies, approaches, projects, and initiatives conducted by the media groups in their respective areas which contributed knowledge to the initial planning for the local media campaign in Region IV, tackled during the respective local media group meeting conducted after the technical exchange.

Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator (RNPC) Carina Santiago of Region IV opened the technical exchange by providing the background and objectives of the activity which was to observe and learn new strategies, approaches and good practices, projects, and initiatives of MIND7 as basis in strengthening and intensifying the nutrition promotion and advocacy in MiMaRoPa and CaLaBaRZon. She also laid out the agenda and introduced the members of PROMO Nutri Com and CNN 4-A who are present in the technical exchange.

RNPC Dr. Parolita Mission welcomed the participants, emphasizing that “by harnessing the power of the media's pens, voices, blogs to educate, entertain and influence the readers, listeners, viewers and followers, respectively can help make the necessary change in the eating patterns, caring practices and behavior of the people and collectively make a dint in reducing undernutrition, stunting, wasting, overnutrition and non-communicable diseases that the country is facing.”

Ms. Janet Buelo, Provincial Information Officer of Quezon Province and President of CNN 4-A, shared the background and activities of the local media group, which was organized in 2012 during the CaLaBaRZon Pro Nutrition Media Group meeting at Calamba City, Laguna. During this meeting, the group drafted the constitution and by-laws, came up with the local media plan, and elected their Board of Directors. A pioneering project of CNN 4-A includes the Media Service Caravan which started in 2014, providing health and nutrition services to target beneficiaries such as pregnant and lactating CaLaBaRZonians. The group also aided in a Nutrition Service Caravan in 2013 which converged the services from the different regional line agencies such as DA, DepEd, DAR, TESDA, NFA, DSWD, DOH, DILG, and NNC to provide health and nutrition services to students in CaLaBaRZon. CNN 4-A also publishes comics and magazines such as the NutriKomiks , a nutrition comic series distributed both in CaLaBaRZon and MiMaRoPa Regions, and CNN Chronicles, a magazine publication indicating the accomplishments in the field of nutrition program implementation.

Mr. Voltaire N. Dequina, Station Manager of Radyo Natin San Jose and President of PROMO Nutri Com, presented the background, best practices and other innovative strategies of the group. Realizing the need to intensify the nutrition advocacies in MiMaRoPa through mass media and to involve other stakeholders and nutrition advocates in the campaign, PROMO Nutri Com was established during the Local Media Program Implementation Review (PIR) in 2012. The major goal in establishing the local group is to converge efforts in bringing key nutrition messages to the people of MiMaRoPa.

Several activities followed thereafter, including the first team building on 2013 in Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro, wherein the group created their mission statement, Constitution and By-laws, elected the board of directors, and created the first local media plan for the year 2014. With a mission statement “Free MiMaRoPa from hunger and malnutrition through information power”, PROMO Nutri Com pioneered the advocacy meetings with the Local Chief Executives (LCEs) or the Nutrition Stakeholders Forum per province, which aimed to contribute in improving the nutritional status of the citizens through creating awareness on effective involvement and combined efforts of the nutrition key players for the implementation of nutrition programs. This activity initially prioritized nutritionally-depressed provinces starting with Palawan and Marinduque, and gradually targeted other provinces. This year, the group will conduct the Nutrition Stakeholders’ Forum for Oriental Mindoro, the last of the advocacy meetings to be conducted for MiMaRoPa.

MIND 7 President and Station Manager of Home Radio, Mr. Raul “Bong” H. Roxas shared some of the best practices of the group in the local media campaign in Central Visayas. Some innovations recognized by PROMO Nutri Com and CNN 4-A includes the active publication of nutrition news in The Freeman Newspaper and other print media, surpassing the target number of articles in the local media plan. Further, majority of the members of MIND7 continuously updates the public of the efforts of the Local Government Units (LGUs) in nutrition program implementation through blogging and posting in social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter. Other efforts of the group include digital billboard placements in the busiest areas in Cebu City, creation of nutrition animation to target children and adolescents, production of innovative collaterals such as the baby bib given to target infants, and the nutrition mural contest in partnership with primary and secondary schools in Central Visayas. MIND7 also fosters strong network link with the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP), a national broadcast media organization, which further enhances their nutrition campaigns in the region. Currently, MIND7 plans on establishing internet radio stations in the region to reach more targets in their radio placement campaigns. The effectiveness of the local media campaign were also evaluated by Development Communication students as part of their thesis, which led to the further improvement of the materials used in the campaigns.

All of the innovations in the local media campaign of MIND7 are geared towards advocating exclusive breastfeeding, complementary feeding, healthy eating, and lifestyle modification. The technical exchange was also attended by other officers and members of MIND7 including Ms. Anabelle C. Lagrosas (DYMR), Atty. Cynthia L. Barte (Smooth FM), Ms. Diane R. de Castro (Metro Cebu On-line), Mr. William H. Valencia (DYAR), Mr. Patrick Q. Suarez, and Mr. Gilbert C. Gonza (Love Radio).

CNN 4-A and PROMO Nutri Com also visited The Freeman Office, publisher of the oldest newspaper in Central Visayas. During the visit last May 26, 2017, Ms. Mitchelle Palaubsanon, Senior Reporter of The Freeman and Vice-President for Print of MIND7, presented the background of publication of newspapers and accomplishments of the group in print media, as part of the technical exchange activities.

With this activity, the local media groups not only shared their own innovations but also gained vital inputs from other media groups. The innovations of MIND7 served as a guide in formulating the local media plan for 2018 for both PROMO Nutri Com and CNN 4-A, still gearing in the aim of freeing MiMaRoPans from hunger and malnutrition in the near future.//jlbv

*The Local Media Groups

1. PROMO Nutri Com – Palawan Romblon Oriental Mindoro Marinduque Occidental Mindoro Nutrition Communicators

2. CNN 4-A – Communicators Network for Nutrition

3. MIND7 – Media Information Network for Nutrition and Development