Being enumerated as one of the Most Competitive Municipality in the country since 2014, it is an enormous challenge for Manolo Fortich that along with economic progress is to ensure that the health and nutritional well-being of its populace is of priority and given great prominence. Municipal Nutrition Committee’s collaborative efforts with commendable community involvement, Manolo Fortich is hailed as consistent Regional Green Banner Awardee for Nutrition from 2014-2016 – an accomplishment worthy to be endorsed as NorMin’s Consistent Regional Outstanding Winner in Nutrition (CROWN).

As Manolo Fortich continues their combat against malnutrition through the leadership of Mayor Clive D. Quiño, the following initiatives and good practices on nutrition programs, projects and activities— serve as armor, 7 impact programs plus PPAs under 15 Special Projects where implemented and sustained:

• Real Quality Public Service (RQPS) Program
• A total of 195 zones organized thru Revitalized Quest Towards Total Community Development (RQTTCD) Project which involves organizations from different sectors such as Religious, Senior Citizens and Persons with Disability, Business, Farmers, Women’s, IPs, Day Care and BNS Sector helping alleviate poverty and malnutrition through active participation and coordination of all the sectors.
  
  
• Annual Search for Aktibong Zona and Aktibong Barangaywith the following criteria:

-       Establishment of communal gardens and planting of fruits vegetables

-       Provision of vegetable seeds the families with malnourished children

-       Supplementary feeding programs conducted

• Massive nutrition education campaignsuch as conduct of mothers’ classes, Pabasa sa Nutrisyon with IYCF
• “Utanan sa Tugkaran” promotes backyard gardening among households, and was strengthened by the “Utanan sa Zona” project where communal garden is established in 195 zones as a source of fresh vegetables for the regular feeding activities.
• Multi-media nutrition-related information campaign through “Barug Manolo Fortich” radio program and LED Screen at the Municipal gymnasium.
• Hataw Dance Contest for the obese and overweight children, Best Vegetable Gardens for the BNSs, Cooking Contest for parents of undernourished children, Healthy Buntis, Nutri- Challenge, Nutri Quiz among others as activities during Nutrition Month.
• “Adopt-a-Child”program - each SB members adopts (support for food) of 1 undernourished child until the child is rehabilitated (or Normal nutritional status)
• “Handog Pamasko”provision of grocery items to poorest families every December
• 26 functional BNSs for 22 barangays receiving honorarium depending on the result of their annual Municipal-wide evaluation, with the highest honorarium being P1,350.00
• allocated for nutrition in 2016. Private sector contribution amounting to P550,860 for nutrition activities.
• Organization and mobilization of Breastfeeding Support Groups
• Facilitated employment generation prioritizing families with malnourished children, poor families and nutritionally depressed barangays
• Livestock dispersal prioritizing families with malnourished child, among others.
  
  The concerted efforts of the MNC and various stakeholders on nutrition program management resulted in the significant decrease in the prevalence of underweight 0-71 month’s old children from 1.53% in 2014 to 0.71% in 2016. Indeed, a milestone for the Municipality of Manolo Fortich on nutrition improvement!