The National Nutrition Council (NNC) under the Department of Health (DOH) is the government agency responsible for the formulation of a conducive policy environment for the national and the local nutrition planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and surveillance using state-of-the-art technology and approaches. Under the governance of the National Nutrition Council XI, the program of Early Childhood Care and Development for the First 1000 Days of Life (ECCD-F1K) has been an on-going program being implemented in the provinces of Davao Del Sur and Davao Occidental since 2019. The program aims to emphasize the importance of the First 1000 Days of a child’s life which begins from the conception of the mother up to the first 2 years of age. The first 1000 days of life is considered to be the “golden window of opportunity” during which the delivery of health, nutrition and early learning interventions would result to the optimum physical and brain development. To strengthen the campaign on the importance of the first 1000 days of life, a separate nutrition program known as the “Dietary Supplemental Feeding Program for the Pregnant Women” is currently being implemented together with the ECCD-F1K program in the province of Davao Occidental. This program aims to uplift the nutritional status of pregnant women on their 26th week of pregnancy to ensure the delivery of a healthy baby which will directly affect their development on their first 1000 days of life. The pregnant and lactating mothers are to undergo 90 days of feeding through which hot meals or dry rations are to be prepared by the Local Government Unit of their respective municipalities.
Under the Province of Davao Occidental, only the municipality of Malita has yet started the implementation of the feeding program. About 14 out of 30 barangays and 900 pregnant and lactating mothers have been currently enrolled on the 90-day feeding program. Given the distances of the barangays and the sitios from the possible feeding centers, the mode of feeding was decided to be by means of dry ration distribution which in response is being monitored weekly by the nutrition and health workers of the barangays and the municipality.
A coordination and planning activity were conducted on the Municipality of Jose Abad Santos last September 10-11, 2020 together with the ECCD-F1K Provincial Nutrition Coordinator - Mr. Pyke Matus, Dr. Amparo Lachica, Dr. Gene Rose M. Carmona, the Provincial Health Office Staff and the nutrition workers of Jose Abad Santos. The 2-day activity consisted of orientation on the programs under the National Nutrition Council, organization of technical working group, preparation of logistics, and presentation of the implementation plan per barangay. The mode of feeding agreed upon would be a combination of hot meals and dry ration. The target date for the implementation of the feeding program will be on the 2nd week of October.
A planning activity was also conducted on the Municipality of Sta. Maria last September 17, 2020 together with PNC Matus, MNAO Gracenia Mametes, Dr. Maria Victoria Rabara, and representatives from different implementing departments such as the accounting, procurement, budget, MSWD, and the Rural Health Unit. A follow-up orientation meeting with the nutrition and health workers is to be conducted on the coming days of the month. PRGM/JWRF/MTLU
