Regional Nutrition Committee (RNC) and Nutrition Cluster members were convened for their first meeting on 28 February 2022 via Zoom. The meeting was presided by RNC Chair and Regional Director of DOH Center for Health Development MIMAROPA, Dr. Mario S. Baquilod and was attended by 21 members and representatives from 15 agencies.
The meeting was highlighted by the approval of the RNC Resolution No. 1, s. 2022: Adopting the Implementing Guidelines on Nutrition Shepherding Project for Effective Nutrition Program Management, facilitated by Nutrition Officer III Camille Chen. Nutrition Shepherding Project involves guiding and mentoring low performing LGUs by the regional nutrition shepherding team to enhance their knowledge and skills on nutrition program management.
The 2021 MIMAROPA Nutrition Situation was reported by Provincial Nutrition Focal Point Nichole Loyola based on the Operation Timbang Plus Results. The 2021 OPT has a 74.5% coverage from the estimated 373, 724 children aged 0-59 months old. It was noted that the prevalence rate of underweight, stunting, and overweight and obesity increased this year while slight decrease on prevalence rate of wasting from 2020-2021.
Further, Information Management Officer Xylene Notario reported the updates on the Typhoon Odette regional and local nutrition cluster responses which focused on hardly-hit areas in Palawan – Dumaran, Araceli, San Vicente, and Roxas. The report covered the nutrition commodities and services provided, nutrition assessment and problems identified during the response.
The COVID-19 situation and its vaccination program were also reported by Ms. Cherry Ann Candava and Ms. Pamela Aguinaldo of CHD MIMAROPA, respectively. Through the vaccination efforts in the region, 62% of the targeted population are already vaccinated while COVID-19 cases are slowly decreasing.
NNC MIMAROPA accomplishments in 2021 and its plans for 2022 were also shared in the meeting by Nutrition Officer II Bianca Estrella. Several agencies including Nutrition Foundation of the Philippines, Nutrition Center of the Philippines, and the regional offices of DSWD, CHD DENR, DAR and DOST also shared their nutrition-related accomplishments to the committee.
The meeting fruitfully ended garnering support from the member agencies as they were encouraged to re-align their programs and projects to the areas with high prevalence of malnutrition to help in addressing the nutrition situation in the region.
Written by: NO II Bianca Estrella
