November 10, 2014- Koronadal City. After the success of the first four Batches of the Training of Barangay Community Mobilizers and Peers Counselors on Infant and young Child Feeding Program held on the first quarter of 2014, the National Nutrition Council XII once again conducted another batches of said training course last October to November 7, 2014. With the assistance of the Provincial Nutrition Action Officers of the four provinces in identifying model barangays, The NNC validated and approved the identified barangays as model and be a recipient of NNC funded 4 day live-out training for community mobilizers and peer counselors. The four identified target barangays namely: New Iloilo, Tantangan, South Cotabato, Kalawag 1, Isulan Sultan Kudarat, Tambilil, Kiamba, Sarangani, and San Isidro, Midsayap, Cotabato.

The said training aims to train the community mobilizers and peer counselors on mobilizing community support for IYCF program. The barangay chairperson, barangay councilor on health, school principal, senior citizen, rural health midwife, day care worker, SK representative, women’s group representative, community-based organization, purok leaders, barangay health workers, barangay nutrition scholars, mother leader, and other identified IYCF peer counselors were the identified participants. Each participant underwent the four parts of the training course: Part 1. Mobilizing Community Support for IYCF; Part 2. IYCF Counselling with Practical Session; Part 3. Guidelines on Follow-up-After Training; and Part 4. Re-entry Planning.

NNC XII headed by Ms. Arceli M. Latonio and its staff facilitated and monitored the activity together with the identified provincial and municipal IYCF trainers. At the end of the training, new ICYF peer counselors are expected to also sourced out funds to support and sustain activities identified in mobilizing community support for IYCF.

Currently, Region XII has a total of eight (8) model barangays who were trained on Community Mobilizers and Peer Counselors on Infant and young Child Feeding Program. Sustaining the Infant and young child feeding program will indeed create a well-nourished and healthy community. The utmost commitment of the barangay chairpersons and all the participants in pursuing their pledge to support the Infant and Young Child Feeding programs will ensure a well developed community.

“The best way to predict the future is to create it”.