SOCCSKSARGEN-NNC XII had recently conducted four (4) batches of 2-day workshop on enhancing Local Nutrition Action Plans and budgets for 2019 scoping the PPAN focus areas of Region XII including four (4) provinces and four (4) cities in the region.
The First batch was done last July 26-27, 2018 at Sun City Suites, General Santos City for Sarangani Province and its seven (7) Municipalities and General Santos City. It was attended by a total of 35 participants.
Second batch and third batch were conducted at AJ Hi-Time Hotel, Kidapawan City on 7-8 August and 9-10 August respectively.
The second batch of the workshop was intended for the following LGUs, with a total of 95 participants, to wit: Koronadal City, Kidapawan City and Cotabato Province with its 15 Municipalities. Meanwhile the third batch which covered LGUs of South Cotabato including its 9 Municipalities was attended by 40 participants.
On the otherhand, the last batch was conducted for Sultan Kudarat Province and Tacurong City held on August 13-14 in General Santos City with 56 participants. It was also joined by the municipality of Tampakan, Province of South Cotabato Province and Municipalities of Aleosan and Libungan, Province of Cotabato.
The four (4) batches were attended by (Provincial/City/Municipal) Local Government Operations Officers, Nutrition Action Officers, Health officers along with their Planning and Budget officers.
The workshop included six (6) sessions, starting from the overall context of scaled-up nutrition action down to the next steps to be done by LGUs after the workshop. It also aims to identify priority nutrition actions and budgets for fiscal year 2019 of their Annual Investment Plan, highlighting the issued circular and memorandum of DILG (MC 2018-42) and DBM (Memorandum no. 77), to effectively address malnutrition.
The activity came up with a quick assessment of the nutrition situation, as well as the list of programs and projects for the first 1000 days that will be scaled up in 2019 and the needed budgetary outlay to ensure inclusion of these programs in the LGU budget proposal for 2019.
Ms. Maria Lourdes Vega, Division Chief of NPPD-NNC (for batches 1-3) and Mr. Reginaldo Guillen, NO IV-NPPD together with Alcanz Consultant, Mr. Rommel Martinez (for 4th batch), served as resource persons for the said workshop.
The workshop is among the many lined-up capacity-building activities as part of LGU Mobilization which aims to ensure that nutrition programs are being efficiently and effectively implemented following the 2017-2022 PPAN. (NO II Aurel/NO III Flores)
