9 December 2021, Cagayan de Oro City – The Northern Mindanao’s Mentoring Initiative for Nutrition (NorMIN) Regional Shepherding Team (RST) convened last 3 December 2021 via video teleconferencing. The team, formerly known as “Region 10 LGU Mentoring Team”, was reorganized following the directives of National Nutrition Council in institutionalizing the Shepherding Initiative.
The orientation was attended by 17 RST members and representatives from the Regional Nutrition Committee Technical Working Group (RTWG) and select awardee LGUs.
The activity objectives include the following: 1) to orient members of the RST re the Nutrition Shepherding project, 2) to clarify the roles and responsibilities of shepherding team, and 3) to identify potential local government units (LGUs) for shepherding and next steps for the project.
Nutrition Program Coordinator Gladys Mae S. Fernandez gave an Opening Message and explained to the group the overview of the activity. She also informed the new members that the initiative has been implemented in the region since 2016.
Ms. Sheena Marie G. Talle, Nutrition Officer III discussed the first session entitled “Mobilization of LGUs for Scaled Up Nutrition Actions” where she shared the LGU Mobilization Strategy of the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition. The peer learning approach of the said strategy was also introduced, including the Shepherding Initiative. NO III Talle continued to discuss Session 2: “Key Features of the Nutrition Shepherding Project”. In her presentation, she enumerated the steps needed to operationalize the Shepherding Initiative.
Session 3.1 on “Prioritizing Nutrition and Local Development Planning, Investment Programming and Budgeting” was handled by NO I Liezel Joy D. Reyes. NO I Reyes shared strategies on nutrition integration and prioritization in local development plans and budgets.
NPC Fernandez emphasized that the implementation of nutrition programs can be strengthened through beefing up the LGU’s investments and management support for nutrition. This is an opportunity that the LGUs can grab through the Mandanas-Garcia Supreme Court Ruling.
Thereafter, NO I Reyes introduced gender transformative principles and recommended practices for the shepherding team to ensure that all the efforts of the RST are gender-sensitive.
An election was held by the body, of which Ms. Hazel P. Dondonayos, City Nutrition Action Officer of Valencia City, was elected as the RST Chairperson, with Ms. Marichu G. Tijing, Provincial Nutrition Action Officer of Misamis Occidental Province, as Vice-chair.
The group proceeded with the workshop and discussion on the selection of target LGUs for shepherding in 2022. NO III Talle presented the proposed criteria in prioritizing LGUs for shepherding: a) priority area of the Human Development and Poverty Reduction Cabinet Cluster, b) stunting rates higher than the regional prevalence or at high level of public health significance, c) overall score of below 80% in the Monitoring and Evaluation of Local Level Plan Implementation (MELLPI) Pro, and d) score of below 60% in any of the dimensions of the MELLPI Pro.
The RST members utilized the data presented by the secretariat, and after careful deliberation, agreed on the following target LGUs to shepherd:
- Lanao del Norte Province (alternate: Camiguin Province)
- Iligan City (alternate: Oroquieta City)
NO III Talle presented the activities to be conducted in 2022 to realize the shepherding strategy.
The Nutrition Shepherding Initiative is supported by RNC Resolution No. 2, s2021, while the members are organized through RNC Resolution No. 3, s2021.
The NNC Region X expresses its hopes that more local nutrition committees will function to rally for nutrition so other they can make significant impact to their constituents’ lives, and that their participation in this initiative is the first step towards their journey to nutrition awards. (NO III Sheena Marie G. Talle)
