The year 2015 marks a splendid nutrition achievement for the National Nutrition Council Region 10 (NNC X) as three local government units in Northern Mindanao bagged national awards given by the National Nutrition Council of the Philippines.
Gingoog City, Municipality of Maramag and Valencia City join 19 other LGUs in the Philippines as recipients of the national nutrition awards for their commendable pursuits of Nutrition Excellence. Gingoog City will be awarded as Consistent Regional Outst anding Winner in Nutrition (CROWN), Municipality of Maramag, Bukidnon for the Second Year CROWN Maintenance Award, and Valencia City as the latest Nutrition Honor Awardee in Region 10.
The awardees are formally named after evaluating the performance of their respective nutrition programs for the year 2015.
The Nutrition Honor Award is the highest distinction given by the National Nutrition Council and conferred to LGUs who consistently excel in the implementation of local nutrition programs, as depicted by steady fall of malnutrition index in its geographical jurisdiction for six consecutive years.
The decreasing prevalence of malnutrition in each LGU is a reflection of their unrivaled effort and commitment in improving health outcomes and addressing malnutrition.
National awardees, before earning the recognition, have undergone meticulous evaluation of its nutrition programs through the annual Monitoring and Evaluation of Local Level Plan Implementation (MELLPI).
The evaluation is executed by a group of nutrition experts and regional nutrition evaluation team representing allied government agencies such as DA, DOH, DSWD, DOLE, PIA, NEDA, CHED, NCIP, and NDAP.
The MELLPI generally focuses on key areas such as nutrition policy formulation, nutrition resources utilization and nutrition status improvement to assess the LGU’s effectiveness and efficiency in mobilizing its local nutrition programs for the benefit of its constituents.
Having named nutrition awardees, Gingoog City, the Municipality of Maramag, Bukidnon and Valencia City proved they are Region 10 Nutrition champions. Furthermore, the award is testimony to the local chief executive’s commitment towards improved health and nutrition of his/her people.
As the chairman of the local nutrition committee, Mayor Marie L. Guingona (Gingoog City), Mayor Jose P. Obedencio (Maramag, Bukidnon) and Mayor Azucena P. Huervas (Valencia City) are laudable nutrition advocates, exemplary leaders, for prioritizing health-focused and nutrition-driven administrative agenda in their respective cities and town.
GOOD NUTRITION PRACTICES
Valencia City is the 8th and latest NHA Awardee of Northern Mindanao. The city is cited for its unique nutrition programs such as the materialization of its NUTRILAND, a 1.7 hectare property to be used as demonstration facility and nutrition rehabilitation center for malnourished children.
Valencia is also one of the first LGUs in the country to initiate on-air Nutrition Education Program called NUTRI SCHOOL- ON-THE-AIR. The program aimed to reach as many households in the city to teach mothers of proper nutrition practices using the 10 Nutrition Guidelines for Filipinos as information drive tool. Hundreds of mothers graduated from the said program.
Additionally, the city also implemented lifestyle-based nutrition movement like the Search for the Healthiest Weight Loser – Adults and Kids edition. This program reminded the people of the importance to maintain healthy and normal body weight.
Through unique and varied nutrition interventions the city was able sustain its excellent nutrition record for six years from 2010 until the present, finally reaping the Nutrition Honor Award.
Gingoog City is no less a nutrition warrior. The city steered numerous impressive nutrition good practices.
One-on-One Feeding Program, Promote Good Nutrition and Pabasa sa Nutrisyon are among the nutrition programs the city implemented as interventions to address malnutrition. Through these programs the city was able to curb figures of underweight children as well as encourage pregnant and lactating mothers to observe proper nutrition practices while expecting child and while breastfeeding.
To drum up its nutrition programs the city’s local government appropriated good sum of funding to support projects such as Livelihood Assistance for nutritionally depressed families. Gingoog City also has Search for G4 (Garden of Go, Grow and Glow) Best Implementer – an incentive-based nutrition program supporting school and community food production and greening projects.
More than anything Gingoog City values its Barangay Nutrition Scholars. These nutrition missionaries are guaranteed of insurance coverage both for accident and natural death to motivate them to perform their duties enthusiastically. The city also continuously send its nutrition workforces for trainings and seminars to keep them abreast with the latest information and strategies to better their nutrition programs implementation.
As Second Year C R OWN Maintenance Awardee, Maramag, Bukidnon, prides itself holding the record of lowest underweight prevalence among municipalities in the entire region for the year 2015. The town implemented various nutrition programs such as the creation of Gulayan ng Bayan, a seed-banking venue where constituents may get vegetable seedlings for free; 50 for Healthy Kiddie and Barya Mo, Pagkain ko fund-raising activity to sustain feeding programs for the malnourished kids.
Maramag also empowers the indigenous peoples and include them in the town’s nutrition program. Pabasa sa Nutrisyon is a special nutrition program designed to teach the IPs of proper nutrition practices for their families.
Recent studies suggested strong correlation between teen-pregnancy and malnutrition. The Municipality of Maramag addressed the growing concern by setting up a facility called “Tambayan ng Kabataan sa Maramag, Bukidnon”. The facility provides guidance services for the youth to make informed choices that will save them from being victims of teen pregnancy.
Valencia City, the Municipality of Maramag and Gingoog City are truly award-worthy nutrition champions. These LGUs had set examples and paved the way for other LGUs in the region to aspire for and uphold nutrition excellence.
Knowing HEALTH IS WEALTH, it is but wise for every LGU to bank on nutrition adequacy for its people. Nutrition is their springboard in pursuing a dynamic community with strong labor force that are considerably economic development enablers.
All of the nutrition efforts boil down to one conclusion— improved nutrition for better health outcomes. Good nutrition enables a more productive, healthier and prosperous region. The national nutrition awards do not only highlight the awardees itself, but it is also a call to action for other local government units to progress their nutrition programs and strive hard towards the One Region in Nutrition advocacy. -Sunstar, CDO)
