By 2022, the Philippines will be entering a new period of “re-devolution” due to the Mandanas-Garcia Ruling and Executive Order 138, s.2021. In the Mandanas-Garcia Ruling, the Supreme Court Ruled that the Local Government Units should receive a just share of most national taxes, which meant LGU’s would be receiving a significantly higher budget starting 2022. This welcome development for many nutrition advocates that saw it as a possible starting point for bigger investments for nutrition.

In the Philippines, the provincial governments are accountable for monitoring the planning and delivery of nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive services by the municipal governments. With the first 1000 days (pregnancy to 2 years of child’s life) referred as a critical window to address undernutrition which can affect outcomes of children later in life, the role of Provincial Government as the overall integrator is crucial for scaling up the implementation of essential policies and programs for nutrition.

To successfully fulfill this role, the Zuellig Family Foundation facilitates a Provincial Nutrition Governance Program Training, for the Provincial Nutrition Committee of Sarangani Province. In line to this, the National Nutrition Council Region XII recognized as one of the stakeholders in Scaling-up Nutrition Programs and Interventions was invited to join the 4-day training Program, together with Non-Government Organizations partners of the province.

Twenty-Five participants attended the said training coming from the different departments of the province and other stakeholders. For the National Nutrition Council Region XII Secretariat, NO III Annalita Mae Flores attended the training in day 1, while Katty Parreno, the Provincial Nutrition Focal point for Sarangani Province completed the 4-day training program.

The objective of the training Program were the following, for the participants to be able to; 1. Demonstrates knowledge, skills, and attitudes of Bridging Leadership; 2. Transform provincial nutrition system into one that is responsive to the needs of its committees; 3. Strengthen Integration and collaborative action among the different sectors and levels of government, and between public and private stakeholders; 4. And Put in place the critical knobs of the provincial nutrition system in order to create an enabling environment for faster improvement of its nutrition security and nutrition outcomes

Through this initiative, the Sarangani Local Government Unit was able to empower, and get the commitment of the Provincial Nutrition Committee member and other stakeholders, to prioritize nutrition programs, and to consider their different programs, to be nutrition sensitive when planning PPA’s in the province. (PNFPParreno/NOIIIFlores/RNPCLaquihon)

References:

Zuellig Family Foundation Learning Journal and Workbook version 10