The National Nutrition Council recognizes two local government units from region XII, South Cotabato Province and municipality of Malungon from Sarangani for their excellent performance on nutrition program implementation. The National Nutrition Awarding Ceremony was held at Philippine International Convention Center, Pasay City on December 13, 2016.
Province of South Cotabato bagged the Consistent Regional Outstanding Winner in Nutrition (CROWN) for having won the Green Banner Award for three consecutive years. Vice-Governor Vicente De Jesus represented Governor Daisy Avance-Fuentes together with PNAO Maria D. Uy and two members of PNC accepted the trophy and cash award amounting to P500,000.00.
Meanwhile, Malungon municipality has successfully maintained the CROWN award for the first year through the efficient and effective implementation and management of its local nutrition program. In full force, the members of the Municipal Nutrition Committee led by MNC Chair Mayor Ma. Theresa D. Constantino received the certificate of merit and cash prize of P100,000.00.
As SOCCSKSARGEN’s Nutrition Champions in 2015, their good practices on nutrition are proofs that they exerted their efforts in addressing hunger and malnutrition in their respective areas.
South Cotabato has gained success in the execution of their plans as shown by the improvement of nutritional status among preschool children, with prevalence of underweight among preschool children reducing from 7.63% in 2013 to 5.67% in 2015. Weaving their dream of a well-nourished community, the Provincial Nutrition Committee (PNC) led by Governor Daisy P. Avance-Fuentes pledges to strengthen public-private partnership, convergence of programs and strategies and sustain proven effective nutrition interventions. Among their effective nutrition actions are:
“Sagop Bata” Project. It is a well-planned strategy that entails three stages of implementation: social preparation; implementation, which includes the conduct of high protein, high calorie feeding for 42 days for target underweight preschool children; conduct of Pabasa sa Nutrisyon, an innovative and participative approach on nutrition education among mothers of target underweight preschool children; establishment of Food Always In The Home (FAITH) gardens among households and communities; and the (3) evaluation phase, which includes the evaluation and assessment of the project’s outcome.
Nutri-Pan are breads and pastries made more nutritious and healthy by using indigenous ingredients like squash, malunggay, camote and ube. Through the public-private partnership of South Cotabato’s provincial government and Mahintana Foundation, Inc., a local private, non-stock, non-profit social development foundation, the PNC’s goal of scaling up the selling and distribution of Nutri-Pan among the nutritionally depressed areas is gradually taking shape. The bakeshops were established in identified municipalities with the help of volunteer mothers. The sole purpose is to produce and distribute Nutri-Pan to priority barangays during Supplementary Feeding and making these nutritious snacks available to the public especially the children.
In Sarangani Province, the municipality of Malungon’s major programs, projects, and activities (PPAs) identified as interventions to address malnutrition especially among preschoolers and school children help lessen economic hardship of families that are living in severe poverty of the municipality. These are sustained and enhanced to provide a comprehensive and excellent services prioritizing the most vulnerable ones. Among their inclusive Nutri-Care for Malungonons to reduce malnutrition are:
Nutri-Care for Children and in-house feeding. Gumne Gumifat Dad Nga or Nutri Care Center for Children adopts and feeds severely underweight preschoolchildren for 30 to 120 days. The preschoolers’ guardians are also provided with food and other personal needs.
There were 56 severely underweight children benefited this intervention which started in 2006 until December of 2015. An average of 3-4 severely underweight children are totally rehabilitated out of the five (5) children enrolled in the in-house feeding every year. Staff coming from the Offices of MSWDO, OMAG and MHO extend support specially in providing lecture, training on health and sanitation, proper food preparation, skills, and livelihood development related trainings to the guardians of undernourished preschoolchildren. There were Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) also supported in this undertaking, such as the BETHESDA Ministries International and Malungon Ministerial Fellowship-International Care Ministry of the Phils. Incorporated. They were also provided with livelihood projects like duck dispersal (pair) to be raised at home as source of protein. Vegetable seeds & cuttings were also distributed for them to establish backyard gardening to generate additional income for the family.
The Story Book Project (Kuwentong Nutrisyon). The goal of this project is to promote nutrition learning through more interactive methods and to use these during school and community events for children. The 15 stories developed focuses on eating vegetables and fruits, drinking milk, health and hygiene.
10 Kumainments Translated in Tagakaolo and Blaan Dialects. In order to understand the 10 Kumainments by the Indigenous People in the municipality, the Municipal Nutrition Committee of Malungon with the help of IP Leaders translated the messages in Tagakaolo and Blaan languages. The posts the printed tarpaulins with translated 10 Kumainments at the Barangay Nutrition Centers of the 31 barangays especially were Indigenous Peoples (Tagakaolo and Blaan Tribes) are dominant. This initiative is effective in conveying information and education especially among IP parents.
Rewarded with the success in addressing malnutrition, these two local government units vows to work harder to sustain what they have started for a healthier generation of people. Congratulations South Cotabato and Malungon! NNC XII is so proud of you. (GMFernandez/NNCXII)
