As the National Nutrition Council’s logo depicts that improving the nutrition situation cannot be achieved by spoonfeeding alone nor by the generosity of a single sector's spoon, therefore, it requires collaboration in creating and recreating ideas; seeking unity, and totality of approach toward nutritional adequacy for all Filipinos. Among these is the Local Nutrition Committee (LNC). LNC is considered as the basic functional unit of the Nutrition Program implementation and management. It is the mechanism of the country which is in charge of developing, implementing, monitoring, evaluating, and coordinating the local nutrition action plan (LNAP). Every province, city, and municipality [as well as the barangay] must have an established and functional Local Nutrition Committee because they will be in charge of overseeing the nutrition action plan. According to DILG Memorandum Circular 2015-19, the local nutrition committee consists of representatives from various local departments such as health, agriculture, social welfare and development, development planning and budgeting, as well as national government agencies such as DepEd and non-government organizations working in the area.
What are the responsibilities of the Local Nutrition Committee? The LNC is responsible for developing a nutrition action plan that is complementary and integrated with other LGU and higher-level plans, advocating for the plan's adoption and financing, coordinating and monitoring nutrition and nutrition-related activities of member agencies and other agencies, mobilizing resources to ensure the plan's implementation, and conducting periodic visits. Furthermore, they are involved in monitoring the performance of other nutrition programs, holding regular quarterly meetings to evaluate plan implementation, and introducing innovation in nutrition program management.
The LNC will be functional if the local chief executive, who serves as the chairman of the LCE, provides strong leadership, the P/C/MNAO is dedicated, the P/C/MNC members cooperate and commit, and activities are carried out continuously throughout the year. The chair of the LNC presides over MNC meetings and deliberations, appoints or designates the Nutrition Action Officer and Nutrition Coordinator, leads in the formulation, implementation, supervision, and evaluation of nutrition programs, and secures and provides funds for nutrition program implementation.
The duties of the appointed Nutrition Action Officer (NAO) include initiating regular quarterly meetings, keeping and submitting records of the minutes of meetings, organizing and leading a planning core group within the MNC, coordinating the implementation of the MNAP, Conducts regular visits to barangays & assesses the progress of program implementation & provides technical assistance, supervising all the BNCs, acts as a resource person to planning activities in the barangay level, prepares quarterly reports and keep records of the MNC.
Take note that improving nutrition is committee work. Let this be a reminder to all members of the nutrition committee to collaboratively do it and not make it a management audit. With this, NNC is continuously reminding all LGUs on their mandates and for all local chief executives and legislators to be true to their commitment as elected officials, together with the other members of their respective LNC the potential benefits of the proper management and implementation of nutrition programs that will surely benefit them into NUTRITION CHAMPIONS for making the nutritional wellbeing of their constituents healthier and better.
PNFP Marie-Claire Gaas
References:
1. DILG MC 2015-19
https://www.dilg.gov.ph/PDF_File/issuances/memo_circulars/dilg-memocircular-2015310_ac8ac7c444.pdf
