21 October 2019, Cagayan de Oro City – The second batch of the Workshop on Integrating Nutrition in the Local Development Plans was held on 14-18 October 2019 at the Apple Tree Resort and Hotel, Opol, Misamis Oriental conducted by the National Nutrition Council (NNC) Central and Regional Office X with Nutrition International (NI).
Key nutrition planning players of Lanao del Norte province such as the Nutrition Action Officers, Health Officers, Planning and Development Coordinators/Officers, Budget Officers and nutrition/RHU staff were mobilized to integrate nutrition in the local development plans of their respective LGUs. There were 85 participants in the 4-day workshop composed of representatives from the Province, Iligan City, all 22 municipalities and Impasug-ong, Bukidnon.
The Human Development and Poverty Reduction (HDPRC) Cluster identified 32 provinces nationwide as focus areas in providing effective actions to achieve its strategic priority outcomes such as improved quality of education, reduced adolescent birth rate and improved nutrition outcomes. In order to be able to prioritize, the Cluster considered the prevalence of malnutrition particularly stunting and teenage pregnancy wherein Lanao del Norte is one under Priority 2 areas focusing on nutrition because of its high stunting prevalence.
The workshop aimed to identify key PPAs for nutrition to be part of the Local Nutrition Action Plans (LNAPs) for the province and the municipalities and is expected to be integrated in the Provincial Development and Physical Framework Plan (PDPFP), Comprehensive Development Plans (CDPs) and Local Development and Investment Plans (LDIP). The workshop is part of the over-all LGU mobilization strategy in scaling up nutrition in the remaining years of PPAN 2017-2022 implementation.
Facilitating the workshop were NO II April Jasmine May C. Ducusin of the Nutrition Policy and Planning Division of NNC CO, four (4) NNC X staff led by NPC Gladys Mae S. Fernandez, Ms. Telesfora G. Madelo, ND IV of DOH Center for Health Development – Northern Mindanao, Nutrition International (NI)/Alcanz Consultants André B. Flores and Karla S. Laqui, together with seven (7) Nutritionist-Dietitians II of the ND Deployment Project of the Human Resource for Health Program of DOH.
Participants identified programs, projects, activities (PPAs) and budgets under five key headings: 1) Philippine Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (PIMAM), 2) First 1000 Days Program, 3) National government agency (NGA) funded programs, 4. Nutrition-sensitive Programs and 5) Enabling Programs. Given these key headings, the First 1000 Days was highlighted as a banner program on nutrition. Further, there was a need to limit the PPAs, considering the long list of projects in the final inclusion in the LDIPs of LGUs.
Participants were able to produce draft Local Nutrition Action Plan for 2020-2022, costing workbooks, several worksheets and project briefs during the course of the workshop. With the accomplished re-entry plans, the Province and NNC X are tasked to monitor the progress of the approval of their LNAP and budget, including the extent to which nutrition is integrated in the local development plans.
Some participants shared their takeaways and impressions of the training, most of them were appreciative of the workshop materials provided and the assistance from the facilitators during the workshop. Most importantly, Lanao del Norte gained better appreciation of nutrition and its importance, and propelled themselves to champion nutrition by investing in the First 1000 Days of life. (NO II Sheena Marie G. Talle)
