The Valencia City Nutrition Committee (CNC) facilitated the conduct of a three-day training on Peer Counselling for Infant and Young Child Feeding. Ms. Raquel Buere, City Nutrition Program Coordinator of Naga City, served as the lead facilitator assisted by Nutrition Officer I of NNC X Princess Christine Daliva.  Naga City is a Nutrition Honor Awardee and is considered as one of the best implementers of the IYCF Program.

A total of 31 mother volunteers who are members of the Barangay Breastfeeding Support Groups of the City participated in the training held on February 22-24, 2016 at CAP Auditorium, Valencia City. Funded by the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, the conduct of the training is part of the implementation of the Nutrition in Emergencies Plan developed and adopted by the CNC last year.

Valencia City Mayor and CNC Chairperson Azucena P. Huervas led the “Panaad sa Peer Counselor” or Pledge of Commitment of the IYCF Peer Counselors which was the highlight of the training. To ensure the effective and sustained implementation of the IYCF Program, the trained Breastfeeding Support Group plans to organize themselves into a federation. 

In her closing message, Mayor Huervas expressed her continued support to the City’s nutrition program with special focus on IYCF as a pro-active measure to prevent all forms of malnutrition. pgd