06 September 2021, Davao City -- The Regional Nutrition Committee XI (RNC XI), during its 2nd Virtual meeting, approved 6 new Resolutions for the year 2021. National Nutrition Council XI facilitated the conduct of said meeting via Google Meet together with the members of the RNC XI.
Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator Dr. Maria Teresa L. Ungson presented the following draft Resolutions for the approval of the Committee:
1. Resolution No. 04, Series of 2021: Resolution Enjoining All Local Government Units of Davao Region to Organize a Local Bantay ASIN Task Force.
Following the approval of Resolution Organizing the Regional Bantay ASIN Task Force (RBATF) in Davao region in March 25 of this year, this resolution aims to encourage LGUs to replicate the same structure of the Regional Bantay Asin Task Force (RBATF) to ensure proper implementation of RA 8172 at the community level. The Provincial/City/Municipality Bantay Asin Task Force (P/C/MBATF) will be composed of a chairperson, co-chairperson and members from LGU (doctor, nurse, midwife rural sanitary inspector, barangay health worker, barangay nutrition scholar or any worker from the local government depending on the situation at local level). Honorable Dmitri Sator, NAOPA XI President, moved for the approval of this Resolution and seconded by D/CNPC President Lynneth Demaisip.
2. Resolution No. 05, Series of 2021: Adopting the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement in Region XI. The SUN Movement is a global movement which operates around a renewed effort to eliminate all forms of malnutrition, based on the principle that everyone has a right to food and good nutrition. It brings different groups of people together – governments, civil society, the United Nations, donors, businesses and scientists – in a collective action to improve nutrition. The Philippine registration to the SUN Movement was approved on 24 February 2014, to gain support from other SUN member countries and international development partners, and the United Nations agencies in improving the nutrition situation of the country and harmonize existing strategies to ensure effective implementation in order to achieve nutrition targets. This RNC Resolution aims to adopt same strategy at the Regional level to continuously improve the regions’ nutrition situation and support Scaling-up Nutrition (SUN) Movement vision of a world free from Malnutrition in all its forms by 2030. 5. Grace Elsa Albano of DOH XI moved for the approval of the Resolution and seconded by Ms. Cheryl Osorio of the Office of Civil Defense.
3. Resolution No. 06, Series of 2021: Expanding the membership of the Regional Nutrition Committee XI to formally include relevant Government Agencies, non-government organizations and representatives from the academe, private and business sector. To carry out NNC’s mandate, the NNC has a Governing Board composed of 10 secretaries of government agencies from (DOH, DA, DILG, DBM, DepEd, DOLE, DOST, DSWD, DTI, and NEDA) and three representatives from the private sector appointed by the President for a two-year term and a Secretariat. The multi-sectoral composition and functions of the NNC Governing Board are replicated at the regional level through the Regional Nutrition Committee (RNC) with NNC regional office as Secretariat. This Resolution aims to formally identify existing member agencies and include agencies, academes and NGOs who regularly participates during conduct of RNC meetings and other related activities. Ms. Ana Mylene Bahandi of DILG XI moved for the approval of the Resolution and seconded by Ms. Robilyn Poulido of DOST XI.
4. Resolution No. 07, S. of 2021: Strengthening the Implementation of Nutrition Programs in the Local Government Units in line with Executive Orders 138 the Mandanas-Garcia Ruling. Executive No. 138 “Full Devolution of certain Functions of the Executive Branch to Local Governments, Creation of a Committee on Devolution, and for other Purposes” states that the substantial increase in the shares of the LGUs from the national taxes will empower the LGUs in providing basic services and facilities to their constituents, aiding them in the effective discharge of other duties and functions to them. Projected increase in IRA allotment of LGUs by 27.61% as per the Supreme Court ruling on the Mandanas-Garcia ruling. This Resolution aims to encourage LGUs to strengthen the implementation of nutrition programs in their respective local government units (LGUs) through opportunities in line with the EO 138 and on the Mandanas-Garcia Supreme Court Ruling. Honorable Dmitri Sator, NAOPA XI President moved for the approval of the Resolution seconded by Ms. Grace Elsa Albano of DOH XI, pending the additional sample organizational structure with alternative Job Title of Nutritionist-Dietitians as another option for Nutrition Officers.
5. Resolution No. 08, S. of 2021: Enjoining all LGUs of Davao Region to Organize a Local Nutrition Cluster. The resolution on the Organization of Nutrition Cluster at the Regional and Local Level was approved on 14 December 2020, which tasks NNC-Davao region to ensure the replication of Nutrition Clusters by LGUs, form Provincial, City, Municipal and Barangay levels. This Resolution aims to encourage the replication of Nutrition Clusters in the LGUs, from Provincial, City, Municipal and Barangay levels to guarantee the implementation and management of nutrition interventions and services in times of emergencies and disasters. Honorable Dmitri Sator, NAOPA XI President, moved for the approval of the Resolution, seconded by Ms. Grace Elsa Albano of DOH XI.
6. Resolution No. 09, S. of 2021: Resolution on Nutrition Sector Support to Household Food Security through Food Resiliency in Region XI. DA Special Order No. 335, issued on March 15, 2020, created the COVID 19 Food Resiliency Task Group to provide direction in addressing food security amidst the COVID 19 pandemic by ensuring availability, accessibility, affordability of safe and nutritious food for the community. Food Resiliency Task Group of Region XI is composed of member agencies from the Regional Offices of DSWD, BFAR, SRA, NNC, PCA, BPI and LGUs of Davao region (CAO, PAGRO &PVET) and DA as the head agency. NNC XI represents the nutrition sector in the Food Resiliency Task Group XI with the role of ensuring access to affordable and nutritious food during emergencies through policy support and advocacy along the NNC XI organizational network. This Resolution aims to support and adopt the National Nutrition Cluster Advisory No. 2 on “Nutrition Cluster Recommendations on Healthful and Nutritious Family Food Packs and Sustainable Food Sources” to encourages LGUs to optimize the use of local fresh produce of dark green and yellow vegetables, root crops, legumes/beans/seeds, fruits, poultry, egg, meat/fish or pasteurized fresh milk to diversify and enhance the nutrient content of family food packs. This statement of support also hopes to enjoin LGUs to promote the establishment of home gardens given the indefinite duration of the community quarantine, will allow households to produce their own fresh and nutritious vegetables which will improve household food accessibility.
The meeting, attended by the Regional Nutrition Committee XI Members and by RNPC Dr Maria Teresa L. Ungson and NNC XI staff, ended with a closing message from Ms. Grace Elsa Albano of DOH XI. Ms. Albano thanked the RNC XI members for actively participating during the meeting and welcomed the newly identified members of the Regional Nutrition Committee XI (RNC XI). She expressed her optimism that the Nutrition Program will still thrive under the devolution and despite the COVID 19 pandemic.
NNC XI Secretariat will facilitate the routing of printed copies of the said resolutions for signature of Dr. Yumang, as RNC XI Chairperson.
/AET
