The National Nutrition Council (NNC) Regional Office 9 called for an online meeting on 5 November 2020 for the members of Regional Technical Working Group (RTWG) of the Regional Nutrition Anti-Hunger Committee (RNAHC) via google meet. Presided by NNC RO 9 Nutrition Program Coordinator (NPC) Ms. Nimfa D. Ekong, 11 members of the RTWG-RNAHC were gathered to discuss the following agenda: Concept note of Region IX (R9) Online CARAVAN (Coaching, Assisting, Reaching Advocates Virtually to Advance in Nutrition) project, presentation and review of the draft policies, Early Childhood Care and Development in the First 1,000 Days (ECCD-F1K) program status updates and to discuss the nutrition cluster and Department of Health (DOH) advisories.
NPC Ekong first presented the concept note of the R9 Online CARAVAN Project which will be the first ever initiated online project of the NNC RO 9. The project aims to continue to provide technical assistance to the Local Government Units (LGUs) and to the program implementers, particularly the nutrition advocates, while adopting to the “new normal” in this time of COVID-19 pandemic. Through this project, technical assistance to health, nutrition and sanitation program will continue to be delivered to the health and nutrition advocates and other program implementers even with the existing restrictions and limited movements brought about by the present health crisis.
Furthermore, Nutrition Officer II Mr. Gabriel C. Tubigon presented to the members the draft policies of Region 9 that are to be reviewed and adopted. These are the Zamboanga Peninsula COVID-19 Regional Recovery Program 2020-2022 PPAs of the NNC RO 9, Resolution No. 051 s. 2020 – Enjoining LGUs to meet the recommended coverage rate of OPT Plus of at least 80 % and the resolution adopting the new Monitoring and Evaluation of Local Level Plan Implementation Protocol (MELLPI Pro) tool. After the presentation, members were given copies of the policies to give them enough time to review the policies and for their approval.
Moreover, Nutrition Officer III Mr. Elton N. Pelegrino presented to the members the ECCD-F1K program status updates as of October 31, 2020. NOIII Pelegrino highlighted the accomplishments of the 3 ECCD-F1K areas, the municipalities of Aurora, Mahayag and Kumalarang, in various health and nutrition programs and related activities since the establishment of the ECCD-F1K program. It was noted in the presentation that there was low accomplishment in the municipality of Kumalarang due to poor performance of the program in-charge. Finally, Nutrition Officer I Zhalimar A. Jakaria-Patulada presented to the RTWG-RNAHC members the 3 nutrition cluster advisories and DOH advisories number 2 and 3, in which these advisories are helpful guidelines in this time of current pandemic and calamities.
The COVID-19 pandemic may have brought restrictions to everybody’s movements to control the spread of the virus but that didn’t stop the members of the RTWG-RNAHC to continue their commitments and support in the nutrition program to attain the goal of eradicating malnutrition in the region and the country despite the constricting situation that the country is facing.
