Through the initiative of the City Government of Puerto Princesa – City Nutrition Office headed by City Nutrition Action Officer Ms. Mary Pearl Rodriguez, a training on Nutrition Program Management (NPM)  was successfully conducted for City Nutrition personnel and select members of the City Nutrition Committee on 6-8 February at Upgrace Inn, Puerto Princesa City.

The 3-day training aims to enhance the knowledge, skills and values of participants along local nutrition program management specifically to discuss the key processes in NPM in the context of local governance and development, identify ways of improving NPM particularly in the development  and implementation of responsive and effective nutrition and implementation trainings on NPM for city level nutrition workers as well as provide technical support to facilitate formulation and implementation of local nutrition action plans.

In her opening remarks, CNAO Rodriguez thanked everyone present in the training specially the team of facilitators from NNC MIMAROPA and Province of Palawan. She shared that the training is crucial for the new CNPCs of the LGU for them to manage and implement nutrition programs effectively and efficiently.

During the training, participants were trained on the eight (8) modules of the NPM Training which include: 1) Understanding Food and Nutrition 2) Advancing the Core Values and Skills of Nutrition Workers 3) Integrating NPM in Local Government and Development System 4) Phase 1 of NPM: Plan, Preparation and Adoption 5) Phase 2 of NPM: Action, Activation, and Adjustment 6) Phase 3 of NPM: Monitoring and Evaluation 7) Phase 4 of NPM: Re-Planning and 8) NPM: A Synthesis.

Pre- and Post-Tests were also done to measure the knowledge of participants about NPM before and after the training as well as group activities such as role playing, presentations and plenary.

NNC MIMAROPA NPC Ma. Eileen Blanco and Palawan DNPC Mila T. Veneranda served as resource persons while NO III Keren Faye Gaya served as facilitator/participant in the said training which was participated by three (3) Nutritionist-Dietitians, four (4) City Nutrition Program Coordinators and two (2) members of the City Nutrition Committee from the City Agriculture Office and City Social Welfare Office.

In her closing message, NPC Blanco reiterated the importance of NPM for the effective management of nutrition programs and efficient implementation of nutrition interventions for the benefit of the beneficiaries and community. She also thanked the City of Puerto Princesa for organizing the training.

The City Nutrition Committee of Puerto Princesa is expected to do re-planning of their approved 2023-2025 CNAP based on the agreements during the NPM Training.

Written by: NO III Keren Faye M. Gaya