Five out of five meetings, done! The National Nutrition Council – MIMAROPA Region completed the last leg of online Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNSs) Provincial Association Meeting with presence of barangay nutrition scholars, nutrition action officers and nutritionist-dietitians from various municipalities of Romblon province last 16 November 2020 via Zoom Application.
The agenda were as follows a) breastfeeding and COVID-19 FAQs for healthcare workers by WHO, milk donation policies during emergencies, b) SAM and MAM cases report per municipality, c) Regional Nutrition Committee Resolution No. 1, s. 2020 and Regional Development Council No. 1, s. 2020-072-908, d) status of FBNS member contributions and funds, e) guidelines on Medical and Survivorship Assistance Requests and CSC Eligibility Application, f) submission of nutrition reports, and g) proposed plans and activities for the last quarter of year 2020.
Select BNS participants voluntarily expressed their experiences as frontliners during COVID-19 response. Some incorporated activities were assistance in repacking and distribution of food packs for households, guarding of locally stranded individuals (LSIs) and newly arrived individuals inside the quarantine facility, conduct of home visits to monitor status of malnourished children and malnourished pregnant women together with dispersion of ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF) and ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF), provision and distribution of Nutributter and Nutrigold, and assistance in checkpoints of respective barangays. In recognition to the three volunteers, the NNC Secretariat gave nutrition month shirts as token.
The observance of the 46th Nutrition Month last July was still pushed through, with consideration to following the public health safety protocols recommended by the Department of Health. Most of the activities conducted were done online which involves gathering of video greetings by children, vegetable gardening, breastfeeding, and Batang Tangkad, a virtual quiz bee participated by pregnant and lactating women to increase awareness on nutrition. Moreover, a stimulated search for Bata sa Tamang Tangkad, Bigat at Lusog sa Kanyang Edad was also conducted, and a slogan making contest for children 10 to 12 years old were done. As for the community level, a contest for backyard gardening was held and Market Day was scheduled where vegetables from various barangays were imported in town for ease of access of families.
The NNC Secretariat notified the participants that donations of infant formula or powdered milk, teat or pacifier, commercial baby food and feeding bottle are forbidden in observance to EO 51. The following orders were implemented in support to the Milk Code: a) DOH AO 2006-0014: National Policies on Infant and Young Children and b) DOH AO 2007-0017: Guidelines on the Acceptance and Processing of Foreign and Local Donations during Emergency and Disaster Situations focuses on prohibiting donations of any breastmilk substitutes. A deliberation on breastfeeding and COVID-19 FAQs by health workers released by the World Health Organization was pursued.
PNAO Williard Mortos shared some of the actions done by their localities to deteriorate the number of SAM and MAM cases identified. BNSs, BHWs, MHO and other health and nutrition workers facilitated screening and case finding during the Expanded Program on Immunization, BNSs and BHWs coordinated with the barangay officials, identified and suspected SAM and MAM children undergone interventions such as feeding and distribution of nutrition commodities, multivitamins and minerals with the help of barangay officials, orientation on SAM and MAM was participated by BNSs and BHWs and had house-to-house visits to recognize new malnourished children. PNAO encourages all BNSs to do the same to help combat malnutrition.
Guidelines and requirements in application for Medical Assistance, Survivorship Assistance and CSC Eiligibility were clarified for source of the BNSs. Lastly, NNC Secretariat advised attendees on the adaption of Regional Nutrition Cluster (RNC) Resolution No. 1, s. 2020: Seeking Support from RDC MIMAROPA to Request all Local Government Units in the Region to Provide Healthy and Nutritious Food Packs during Disasters, Calamities and Public Health Emergencies which was approved by the Regional Development Council (RDC) last 4 September 2020.
“Hindi matutumbasan ang serbisyo ng mga BNSs. Kayo ang aming mga heroes mapabagyo o mapaCOVID man dahil kayo ang nagsisilbi sa mga bata, buntis at matatanda”, a moment of appreciation from our beloved NPC-OIC Blanco was declared towards the end of the program. (NKSLoyola)
