The municipality of Abra de Ilog in Occidental Mindoro, as the identified pilot area of MiMaRoPa Region for the expansion of the Early Warning System on Food and Nutrition Security (EWS-FNS), had a 1-1/2 day EWS-FNS Consultative Workshop on 2-3 December 2014 at the Gymnasium of Abra de Ilog that was facilitated by Ms. Alona E. Teo, Nutrition Officer (NO) II of Nutrition Surveillance Division – National Nutrition Council (NNC) Central Office, together with Ms. Grazelle Marren A. Bonacua, NO I of NNC-MiMaRoPa. The workshop aimed to familiarize the local EWS-FNS team with the existing and relevant information and monitoring systems being used by line agencies and partners which can possibly be utilized as sources of information for the EWS-FNS. This will enable the said municipality to identify and address different problems that may affect the municipality’s community and households to obtain sufficient food relative to their needs.

Around 100 participants came during the said workshop which includes the Municipal Health Officer and Municipal Nutrition Action Officer (MNAO) Ma. Corazon B. Bernabe, Municipal Agricultural Officer (MAO) Julius Judelito Ani Amodia, and Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Officer (MDRRMO) Eric Balanza who also acted as the resource persons. The Barangay Nutrition Scholar Coordinator Rebecca C. Isla went as well including the president of the Barangay Health Workers Association, representative from the Office of Mangyan Affairs, representative from the Regional Rural Improvement Club of the Philippines and other non-government organization representatives.

After the workshop, participants were able to create a Food and Nutrition Security Causality Framework based on their inputs, identify preliminary indicators for the EWS, and identify the sentinel barangays and list of members of the local EWS team. The identified tentative schedule of training for EWS team members is on March 2015.