Tagged as The City of Golden Friendship for its hospitable, exquisite and friendly “Kagay-anons”, there’s more they could be proud of: Cagayan de Oro City was affirmed as the 2016 Regional Green Banner Awardee in Nutrition for the effective and efficient nutrition program implementation resulting to decreasing trend in the prevalence of malnutrition from 5.26% in 2014 to 2.81% in 2016.

Efforts, dedication, perseverance, unceasing support and commitment of the City Nutrition Committee (CNC) led by City Mayor and CNC Chair Oscar S. Moreno with CNC Co-Chair Dr. Fe C. Bongcas, Kagawad on Health Dr. Ma. Lourdes Gaane, CNC members, City Nutrition Office Staff, BNSs and the entire health and nutrition workforce down to the barangay level brought the city’s first step in their journey towards the Nutrition Honor Award.

Putting the malnourished children and other vulnerable groups as priority, the following programs, projects and activities for nutrition were realized and executed:

• Adopted the Urban Household Container Garden (UHCG), a project initiated by the LGU thru the City  Welfare Services and Development (CSWD) and the Agriculture Productivity Office (APO) which helped in addressing food insecurity and improvement in the nutritional status of undernourished children of 4P’s beneficiaries. 

• Supplementary Feeding and Livelihood Program to different barangays (both schools and community) in close partnership with Engr. Rolando Delfin, the founder of MASSA (Marian-foundation Assistance for Spiritual and Social Achievement, Inc.), and one of the CNC members as NGO representative.
  
  
• Through the Intensified Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) Program, the city was able to organize 32 Breastfeeding/IYCF Support Groups. Posting of advocacy materials on IYCF in partnership with the Modern Nanays of Mindanao (MNM), a group of mothers advocating for breastfeeding and proper IYCF practices.
  
  
• Continues nutrition education program through the conduct of the Pabasa sa Nutrisyon (PSN) with a total of 107 batches graduated from the PSN in the year 2016.
  
  
• The complementation of human resources through additional hiring of two (2) City Nutrition Program Coordinators and one (1) Information Technologist who work together with the full-time City Nutrition Action Officer and four (4) CNPCs helps ensure quality and timely delivery of health and nutrition services to Kagay-anons. The support of 189 BNS in 80 barangays with increasing BNS honorarium (from P1,500 in 2015 to P 3,000 in 2016), contributed also to the exemplary performance of the city on nutrition program implementation.

Their great start for having laudable performance in nutrition will surely help achieve their goals in addressing malnutrition. Cagayan de Oro City is with the National Nutrition Council X on the journey as One Region in Nutrition.