The National Nutrition Council MIMAROPA conducted a virtual orientation on Tutok Kainan Dietary Supplementation Program (DSP) for 6–23-months old children attended by Nutrition Action Officers and District Nutrition Officers of Occidental Mindoro and Marinduque, the two program areas in the region.  

Tutok Kainan is an activity jointly implemented by the National Nutrition Council and the Inter-Agency Task Force on Zero Hunger’s initiative on Dietary Supplementation Program for 6–23-month-old preschool children.  Task Force Chair and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles declared that Tutok Kainan is the answer to the call on the First 1000 Days Law, and a manifestation of the country’s seriousness in implementing the National Food Policy. 

Early Childhood Care and Development in the First 1000 Days (ECCD F1K) Provincial Nutrition Coordinator (PNC) Erik Bacena and Nutrition Officer I Ace Patriarca facilitated the activity. PNC Bacena discussed the objective of the program to improve the quality and quantity of food and nutrient intakes and utilization of related ECCD F1KD services among nutritionally at-risk pregnant women and children 6-23 months old.  He also explained the monitoring and reporting system, and the roles and responsibilities of the local nutrition workers in the said program.  

NO I Patriarca then discussed Nutritext, an essential component of the program. Nutritext is designed to support the DSP via SMS communication to reach the maximum population. It aims to provide additional source of information on maternal and infant nutrition and support services through text messaging. He then reiterated the importance of submission of the fully updated masterlist of beneficiaries to include the contact numbers for inclusion in the NutriText database.  

For the final agenda, PNC Bacena furnished a copy of Memorandum of Understanding of Tutok Kainan to all NAOs in the selected provinces to be endorsed to their respective mayors prior to the official implementation of the program in their LGUs. 

NNC MIMAROPA will continuously provide technical assistance and support to the local government units in the region in implementation of nutrition-related programs like Tutok Kainan to ensure the provision of nutrition services to achieve its goal in improving the nutrition situation and reduce hunger in the region.  

(AVETPatriarca)