The National Nutrition Council - MIMAROPA in partnership with Department of Interior and Local Government MIMAROPA conducted an Orientation on the Mandanas-Garcia Ruling and its impact on nutrition services on 29 July 2021 via Zoom Application and Facebook Live.

Local Government Operations Officer V and Full Devolution Focal Person, Ms. Cidney Pamela M. Bejasa served as the resource speaker covering the topic on Supreme Court Ruling on Mandanas and Garcia Petitions, Executive Order No. 138 on Full Devolution of Functions and Services to LGUs and salient features of the LBM No. 82 re: FY 2022 National Tax Allotment Shares of LGUs and Guidelines on the preparation of FY 2022 Annual Budget of LGUs.

The orientation was attended by more than 100 participants composed of Provincial/City/Municipal Nutrition Action Officers, District/City Nutrition Program Coordinators, Barangay Nutrition Scholars, members of the Regional Technical Working Group in Nutrition and other stakeholders.

The activity aims to discuss the implications of the Mandanas-Garcia ruling particularly on strengthening local government units’ nutrition programs. Through this orientation, NAOs and D/CNPC are to be familiarized and enable them to strategize and communicate to those who are involved in the budgeting and planning of funds in their LGUs.

Also shared during the activity was the proposed Indicative Guidelines on the Formulation of Local Government Units Devolution Transition Plan in the region, which, according to Ms. Bejasa, was the first time disseminated to LGUs.

Nutrition is one of the least supported development-related programs in the country, with less than half of the total LGUs in the region having dedicated staff for nutrition. The implementation of the Supreme Court Ruling will be a milestone to strengthen LGU nutrition program implementation,should nutrition offices be established, hiring of staff, and increase in budgets will be put into effect.

Written by: NO III Camille Chen / NO II Bianca Estrella