23 May 2022, Cagayan de Oro City – The National Nutrition Council (NNC) X successfully facilitated the workshop on Mobilizing Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Networks of Northern Mindanao (NorMin) on 17 May 2022 at Chali Resort and Conference Center, Cugman, Cagayan de Oro City. A total of 11 NorMin SUN members attended and participated during the workshop.
The activity served as a strategy of NNC X to ensure that nutrition actions, especially that of the SUN Networks, will be intensified and will achieve results and synergy in terms of priorities for action, and greater accountability and collaboration.
Nutrition Program Coordinator (NPC) Gladys Mae S. Fernandez acknowledged all the members present and thanked them for their efforts and commitments for the NorMin SUN Movement. She also called for collaboration and support from the networks to scale up nutrition actions and protect the nutritionally at-risk and vulnerable, especially the children. NPC Fernandez also presented the overview of the activity and reminded the networks on their roles SUN Movement member.
Nutrition Officer (NO) I Vazamija Therese A. Villasi shared the nutrition landscape of Northern Mindanao based on the 2019 Expanded National Nutrition Survey and 2021 Operation Timbang (OPT) Plus Results. While NO III Sheena Marie G. Talle oriented the participants about the country’s nutrition priorities and strategies through the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) 2017-2022.
To inspire the network members on the activities/actions of each SUN Network, NNC X invited the SUN Philippines Convenors — Ms. Honey Loveleen Bontile, President and Chair (CODHEND)/ Centro Escolar University Nutrition and Dietetics Program Head (Academe), Mr. John B. Echauz, Standard Insurance Co. Inc. President and CEO (Business), and Mr. Rommel Fuerte, World Vision Development Foundation National Director (Civil Society Alliance) delivered their messages by sharing what the network is currently doing for nutrition. They encouraged the members of the NorMin SUN Networks to engage, inspire, and invest in nutrition.
A workshop was conducted to identify what are the current commitments and nutrition investments in nutrition and related programs and projects being implemented in the region, as well as additional programs or projects for nutrition that they will either implement or source funding for. NO I Liezel Joy D. Reyes explained the mechanics of the workshop and provided template as well as the Region X’s malnutrition prevalence map.
Thereafter, a panel discussion regarding the SUN Networks’ engagements on nutrition particularly on the initiatives, innovations, and best practices in Scaling Up Nutrition actions as well as the experiences, insights, lessons learned and prospects per network were shared and discussed by the representative per NorMin SUN Network— Ms. Helen E. Panganiban of Barangay Integrated Development Approach for Nutrition Improvement (Academe), Ms. Nenita M. Tan of Best Friend Goodies and Food Processors Association of Northern Mindanao (Business), and Ms. Nadine Angelica G. Casiño, Modern Nanays of Mindanao (CSA).
Subsequently, the representatives per network presented their workshop outputs. The presentation highlighted the proposed additional programs/projects that the members plan to implement and source funding for. The identified mechanisms to strengthen the NNC X-SUN Network partnerships were also presented.
This was then followed by a response from each SUN Network representative. NO I Reyes then presented the synthesis and next steps for the NorMin SUN Movement. The workshop concluded with a closing message from NPC Fernandez engaging everyone to continue to be involved in the nutrition activities and hoping that more partners and stakeholders will join the movement.
As the SUN Networks are mobilized here in the region, NNC X is assured that the SUN will continue to rise and shine in Northern Mindanao through the networks’ collaborative efforts and investments. (NO I Liezel Joy D. Reyes)
