NNC XII conducted the 2021 Nutrition Month Regional Launching last July 2, 2021 through Zoom video conference. This was attended by a total of 350 participants from different stakeholders including but not limited to government agencies, non-government organizations, academe members, and civil society organizations all over the region. Ms. Danah Pearl Aurel, Nutrition Officer II, and Ms. Rucel Mae Fabian, Administrative Officer VI, served as master of ceremonies.
NNC OIC-Nutrition Program Coordinator Annalita Mae V. Flores gave the welcoming speech for the launching. This was followed by Dr. Aristides C. Tan, DOH XII Regional Director’s opening message.The rationale of the 2021 Nutrition Month Theme was presented by Nutrition Officer II Leah Fe Utlang and Provincial Nutrition Focal Point Kristine Charl Nadela.
Awaited by most is the launching of regional contests and activities. For this year’s Nutrition Month, NNC prepared digital contests to conform to the new normal brought about by the pandemic. These includes F1KD Feature Article Contest, Complementary Food Cooking Contest, 2021 Healthy Buntis Photo Contest, 2021 E-Quiz, Nutri-Talino, Nutri-Tiktok Battle, Online Search for the Best Gulayan sa Bakuran, and Search for 2021 Nutri-Bibo Kid. The mechanics, criteria for judging and prizes of each contest were announced during the launching. Complete guidelines of the contests are posted on the NNC XII website.
As this year’s campaign gives emphasis on the role of different stakeholders to support and engage in scaling up nutrition interventions, representatives from different stakeholders also gave a message of support to this year’s Nutrition Month. Zuellig Family Foundation is Executive Director Austere Panadero affirmed their support to all Regional and Local Government Agencies in advocating, as well as in developing stronger capacities of our local governments to address the issues of malnutrition and in addressing the concerns in stunting and wasting. Ms. Juliet Mae Fernandez, BS Nutrition and Dietetics student of Southern Christian College, commits to support the National Nutrition Council XII in all endeavors to fight against malnutrition by utilizing our available resources and advocating nutrition to our family, community. Ms. Florita L. Jaca, of NDAP SOX commits to supports to partake on the Scaling Up Nutrition Initiatives of the Region. Lastly, University of Southern Mindanao is Dr. Mary Joy Cablas, Extension Services Director, who also gave her message of support on behalf of the academe community.
This year’s campaign not only calls for the individual actions of citizens towards learning and applying healthy nutrition practices, but also calls attention to the significance of the role of stakeholders in scaling up nutrition interventions, that is aligned to this year’s call to action “By working together, we can end all forms of malnutrition. Let us scale up critical actions in the first 1000 days of life!”
(KCN/AMVF)
