19 February 2021, Cagayan de Oro City – In preparation for the publication of the Compendium of Local Ordinances on Nutrition, the National Nutrition Council through Regional Office 10 and the National Project Team (NPT) conducted an online review meeting with LGU Kadingilan, Bukidnon to enrich the draft narrative on their G4 ordinance. The meeting was held last 16 February 2021.
LGU Kadingilan’s Ordinance No. 2014-12: “An Ordinance requiring applicants for Registration for a Certificate of Live Birth & Marriage License to submit to the office of the Municipal Civil Registrar a Certification from the MNAO the presence of Garden of Go, Grow and Glow (G4) in their backyard using the BIO-Intensive System in support to the Nutrition Program of the LGU” was selected from among nutrition and nutrition-related ordinances in the country for the printed version of the above-mentioned Compendium.
The meeting, facilitated by NNC X, covered the overview and objectives of the Compendium project, expected outputs of the meeting, review proper of the draft narrative and agreements on next steps and timelines.
The narrative review focused on the additional information required from the writer, while also reviewing the accuracy, adequacy/completeness, acceptability/appropriateness, and form of the article. Supplemental questions and clarifications were raised by the NPT and NNC as the review went along. These included comments and follow-up questions on the draft content, and queries regarding concerns that were not included in the draft. Answers from Nutrition Action Officer Jake Dumangon and the rest of the LGU team will form part of the draft narrative.
Vice Mayor Helbert A. Jovellar, author of the ordinance, expressed his thanks that their ordinance was selected as one of the featured policies in the printed Compedium. He added that they will continue to propose more ordinances on nutrition to strengthen the advocacy and improve the nutrition situation in their LGU.
Before ending the meeting, points for action by the NPT, regional office and LGU were presented, as well as the timelines. While LGU Kadingilan will comply with the additional data requested, NNC X will follow-up MNAO Dumangon on the same concern and submit the documents to the NPT once available.
Vice Mayor Jovellar and MNAO Dumangon, together with co-author of the ordinance Mr. Gerardo Jurado of the Municipal Civil Registrar, and Administrator James Apao represented the LGU team. NNC was represented by Mr. Reginaldo T. Guillen, OIC-Chief of Nutrition Policy and Planning Division, Region 10 Nutrition Program Coordinator Gladys Mae S. Fernandez, Nutrition Officers Sheena Marie G. Talle and Arlie Joy O. Damiles. Technical support was provided by Ms. Marissa D.M. Navales and Mr. André B. Flores of Nutrition International (NI).
The Compendium of Local Ordinances on Nutrition is a joint project of the NNC and Nutrition Action Officers’ Association of the Philippines (NAOPA), Inc. with technical support from Nutrition International and UNICEF. The online version of the Compendium was launched last October 2020, while the printed version is expected to be published on April 2021. (NO III Sheena Marie G. Talle)
