Cebu City – Stricter community quarantine protocols brought by the entry of COVID-19 delta variant may have hindered another year of face-to-face Grand Nutrition Awards, but that did not stop the Central Visayas Regional Nutrition Committee from recognizing local nutrition committee and local nutrition focal persons who have exemplary performance in 2019 and 2020.
The ease in travel protocols in the 2nd Q of the year has enabled the Regional Nutrition Evaluation Team to push through with 2021 Monitoring and Evaluation of Local Level Plan Implementation (MELLPI) Pro visiting all four provinces, 16 cities and 15 municipalities and 68 barangays as well as a total of eight nominees for Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar (BNS), 3 nominees for Outstanding City/Municipal Nutrition Coordinators (C/MNPC) and one nominee for Outstanding Nutrition Action Officer (NAO).
Slotted for recognition were Overall Best Performing Local Nutrition Committees (LNCs), Best Performing LNCs per Dimension at barangay, municipal, city and provincial level, Good Nutrition Project Awards and Nutrition Project of Merit. Also given awards are outstanding BNSs, C/MNPCs and NAOs. (See attachment for List of Awardees and Programme)
In recognition for nutrition efforts during the pandemic, the RNET also gave recognition to Outstanding Local Nutrition Clusters who have not only continued regular nutrition services but have also initiated activities to prevent deterioration of their community’s nutritional status.
To inspire local chief executives to do well in nutrition was the National President of the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines and Chair of the Nutrition Honor Awardee - Quirino Provincial Nutrition Committee Gov. Dakila Carlo E. Cua.
The awarding ceremony was conducted back-to-back with the launching of the 3.0 Scaling Up for Nutrition (SUN) Movement with messages from Senate President Hon. Vicente C. Sotto III and Assistant Secretary of Health Dr. Azucena M. Dayanghirang, Executive Director of the National Nutrition Council along with the Chair of the Central Visayas Regional Nutrition Committee Dir. Jaime S. Bernadas of DOH CV CHD. The event was closed with a message from DBM 7 Regional Director Ricky L. Sanchez who encouraged local government units to strengthen local nutrition program implementation by including the establishment of nutrition offices with adequate personnel complement.
The awarding ceremony hopes to inspire LGUs to continue good nutrition program management to despite COVID-19 restrictions//Nasudi G. Soluta, RND
