The National Nutrition Council MIMAROPA spearheaded the 2022 First Semester Virtual Monitoring to the municipality of Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro on 12 August 2022 via Zoom Application. The activity was participated by MNAO Jessa Reyes, SB on Health Chair Hon. Jasper Brian Subol, MHO Dr. John Paul Balbuena, and Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNSs) and Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) from five (5) sentinel barangays.

The Local Nutrition Early Warning System – Food and Nutrition Security (LNEWS-FNS) is a form of monitoring and analysis of collected data, such as food production, food prices, climate, and other factors, that determines the food and nutrition security in the community.

Observations established from the monitoring proper were as follows: 1) Prices of rice, bangus, chicken, pork, squash, and brown sugar were at price alert; cooking oil has low price; while eggplant has within the average price, 2) Percentage of exclusive breastfeeding was high and percentage of households with safe sanitary toilet was low 3) The LGU conducted IYCF promotional activities such as nutrition education using flip charts and counseling, and 4) Households do not consume fruits daily.

NNC MIMAROPA recommends household data collectors survey 19 out of 19 households for each sentinel barangay to generate more consequential results and present the data and recommendations formulated by the LNEWS-FNS Municipal Core Group to the Municipal and Barangay Nutrition Committees (M/BNCs) to acquire full support from local chief executives.

Written by: PEO I Nichole Loyola