The Municipality of Jordan, Guimaras is steps closer to Nutrition Honor Award (NHA), the highest award bestowed by the National Nutrition Council for municipalities after being awarded as Consistent Regional Outstanding Winner in Nutrition (CROWN) for three consecutive years.
The municipality has been evaluated for its 1st year CROWN Maintenance Award by the National Evaluation Team (NET) headed by Ms. Jomarie L. Tongol, NO II, together with Ms. Ma. Katrina A. Demetrio, NO II of NNC CO and Ms. Camille F. Rivera, Economic Development Specialist, NEDA, Pasig City last April 8-11, 2014.
The NET conducted Desk review with Municipal Nutrition Committee (MNC) where Jordan presented its nutrition program entitled, “A Journey to a Malnourished-free Jordan”. Ms. Tongol, reminded the MNC members that the measure of evaluation is by outshining its performance for the past three years with at least 90% rate to be able to get the 1st year maintenance award.
Three randomly selected barangays in the municipality were visited as part of the evaluation. It included Brgy. Espinosa with lowest prevalence rate of undernutrition, Brgy. Morobuan which got the highest rate and Brgy. Poblacion which was the only lowland barangay in the median scale.
The team weighed 10% of the total pre-school children in each barangay including the identified underweight and severely underweight pre-school children based on the data provided from the Operation Timbang (OPT) Plus Report. They also had the desk review with Barangay Nutrition Committee (BNC) by interviewing the members and validating the data.
Feedbacking with MNC and BNC members was the highlight of the evaluation. NET summarized their observations on a presentation of program effectiveness by showing the impacts on change in nutritional status of preschool children weighed at sampled barangays. They also presented their findings in terms of the presence of functional nutrition committees in the municipality, nutrition planning, strategies and interventions, documentation, and monitoring and evaluation.
Recommendations were given by the evaluators to improve the performance of MNC and BNC members along the implementation of nutrition program and projects
Hon. Cresente P. Chavez, Jr., Municipal Mayor and MNC Chair, Vice Mayor Ruben Corpuz and Dr. N.L. Cathrel A. Nava, Municipal Nutrition Action Officer and Municipal Health Officer accepted the challenge.
