With the aim of keeping the partners and stakeholders updated, National Nutrition Council Region VI conducted a Joint Provincial/ City Nutrition Action Officers and District/ City Nutrition Program Coordinators Meeting at Eon Centennial Hotel, Iloilo City on June 14, 2016.

Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator Nona Tad-y and Nutrition Officer II Sheryl Sedantes gave updates on Early Childhood Care and Development Intervention Package (ECCD/IP), LGU Mobilization, Monitoring and Evaluation of Local Level Plan Implementation (MELLPI) and Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar (OBNS) Evaluation and BNS Program and Benefits among the P/CNAOs and D/CNPCs across Region VI who attended the meeting.

The selected cities and municipalities included in the ECCD/IP program, which was launched during the Scaling Up Nutrition Global Report at Bayview Park Hotel Manila last January 26-27, 2016, was announced. This includes La Carlota City, Cadiz City, San Carlos City, Hinobaan and Binalbagan for Negros Occidental and Passi City, Tigbauan, Pototan and Concepcion for Iloilo. The program aims to contribute to the full development of the child through integrated services of health, nutrition, early education and social services for improved quality of the country’s human resource base as a contribution to reduce poverty.

As part of the benefits given to the Barangay Nutrition Scholars, guidelines for Civil Service Eligibility of BNS was released by the NNC- Central Office and was relayed to the P/CNAOs and D/CNPCs. An added benefit of being a BNS that was conversed was the financial assistance for the family of deceased BNS. Also, realizing the plight of the BNS, an increase in their travelling allowance was made by the NNC and the requirements to claim the said allowance was clarified during the meeting.

Status of MELLPI and OBNS evaluation among the different cities and municipalities across the region was also discussed during the said meeting.