Amidst this challenging time of COVID 19 pandemic, and with the declaration of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) covering the entire Luzon and some places in the country, the NNC MIMAROPA conducted a virtual meeting with the Province/City Nutrition Action Officers last 7 April 2020. The agenda of the meeting are updates on nutrition initiatives on COVID-19 in the region; Nutrition Cluster Advisory No. 1 series 2020 “Nutrition Cluster Guidelines on LGU Nutrition Actions Relative to COVID 19” and Plans for the 2020 Nutrition Month Celebration.-
The meeting was attended by Dr. Leonor Daite, President of Nutrition Action Officers Association – MIMAROPA, Municipal Nutrition Action Officer (MNAO) and Municipal Health Officer of Roxas, Oriental Mindoro, Dr. Arceli Rebong, Provincial Nutrition Action Officer (PNAO) of Occidental Mindoro, Ms. Rubi Apiag, PNAO of Marinduque, Mr. Willard Mortos, PNAO of Romblon, Ms. Rachel Paladan, PNAO of Palawan and Ms. Glenda Raquepo, CNAO of Calapan City.
NPC Blanco welcomed the group by expressing her gratitude for sharing their time despite of their very busy schedules responding to COVID 19. She expressed that each one of us play a vital role in ensuring the nutritional well- being of people in our communities especially in this most difficult time.
Each shared some updates on various actions and initiatives of the LGUs in responding with the COVID 19 pandemic. It is overwhelming to know that majority of the local government units (LGUs) made sure that food packs distributed to households included fresh fruits and vegetables, this guarantees that each household receiving these food packs will have a nutritious food for the family. Likewise this initiative also supports our local farmers market their locally produced fruits and vegetables.
Further, the provinces including the cities of Calapan, Oriental Mindoro and Puerto Princesa, Palawan distributed Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Feeding (RUTF), Ready-to-Use Supplementary Feeding (RUSF), Micronutrient Powder (MNP) and Vitamin A supplementation provided by the Department of Health (DOH) as nutrition intervention to prevent malnutrition among malnourished, wasted, and stunted 6-59 months old children.
In closing, NPC Blanco commended all the PCNAOs for their invaluable efforts as frontliners in ensuring each member of the family are safe and healthy. “We are at War! The enemy is so tiny that it cannot be seen by our naked eye, but the virus is a deadly one, we are facing a formidable but beatable enemy, together we pray … we will heal as one”, she added. (AVETPatriarca)
