The administration of community quarantine in the Philippines made extensive strike to various living aspects – limited access to health and nutrition services and deficient resources for nutrition.
To address the health and nutrition concerns of MIMAROPAns, the local nutrition committees in the region intrinsically administered the following activities: initiated community pantries in diverse barangays to aid food insecurity, conducted monitoring visit to community gardens and 4Ps garden, managed meetings to provide feedback on barangay nutrition committee (BNC) monitoring results and brainstorm on nutrition activities for CY 2021, and directed "Ugnayan Barangay 2021" which targets to provide services to the people of geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDA) for free.
In strengthening the advocacy on Infant and Young Child Feeding and the First 1000 Days of life (ECCD-F1K), graduation of Idol Ko Si Nanay Learning Sessions with 30 mother beneficiaries was occured.
As support to the BNSs, the National Nutrition Council (NNC) provides travelling allowance to deployed BNSs, medical assistance to confined BNSs and survivorship assistance to beneficiaries of late BNSs. In MIMAROPA Region, two beneficiaries of deceased BNSs have received BNS Survivorship Assistance amounting to P20,000.00 each this month of May. Moreover, processing of such requests is still continuous.
Amidst pandemic, provincial nutrition evaluation team (PNET) of various LGUs have pushed through with the conduct of Monitoring Evaluation of Local Level Plan Implementation (MELLPI) Pro. This M&E system intents to a) assess the local nutrition programs of LGUs, b) appraise the performances of local nutrition workers such as P/C/MNAO, D/CNPC and BNS, c) determines the progress of implementation for the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) priorities at the local level, d) identify action lines for the local, regional and national level for improvement of PPAN implementation.
Through the efforts of all hardworking nutrition heroes and front liners, health and nutrition services were continuously sustained to the vulnerable population groups – malnourished children, pregnant and lactating mothers, elderly and indigenous people to avert malnutrition in MIMAROPA Region.
Each one of you is indeed a hero. Your hardships and efforts are unbeatable. Kayo ang tunay na bida! Together, let us beat COVID-19!
(NKSLoyola)
