Talibon, Bohol – Bringing more meaning to relevant food and nutrition data gathered, two successive trainings for Early Warning System for Food and Nutrition Security (EWS-FNS) for both the municipal and barangay levels were conducted for the Municipality of Buenavista, Bohol on 10-11 March and 12-13 March 2015, respectively at the Berachah Inland Resort and Recreation Center, Talibon, Bohol.
The EWS-FNS is a component of the Philippine Food and Nutrition Surveillance System intended to enable LGUs to take timely nutrition actions through early detection of a worsening nutrition situation based on monitoring of nutrition and nutrition-related indicators.
As the only pilot EWS area in Central Visayas, the local government unit of Buenavista, Bohol, will be entering an agreement with the National Nutrition Council for the organization and activation of their EWS teams. Buenavista was selected because the municipality has one of the highest prevalence rate of malnutrition in the entire region based on the 2013 Operation Timbang results.
The Early Warning System on Food and Nutrition Security Training is done to strengthen the capacity of the municipality for data collection, analysis and interpretation, and maintenance of the food and nutrition security early warning system, all of which will be used for decision making for nutrition related interventions.
The EWS team have selected Mr. Lino Divinagracia, Municipal Agriculture Officer as the team leader and Mr. Efren Logroño, Municipal Planning and Development Officer as the alternate team leader. The rest of the team members include representatives from the MHO, MSWDO, DepEd, Sangguniang Bayan Office, MDRRMC, Provincial Nutrition Office and the Women’s Sector.
Participants of the second part: Household level Survey Enumerators Training were the barangay captains, the rural health midwives, barangay nutrition scholars and barangay health workers of the five (5) sentinel barangays of Daet Norte, East Cabul-an, Cantuba, Overland and Panghagban. The sentinel barangays were identified during the 28-29 January 2015 Consultative Workshop. Surveys will start on the 2nd week of April 2015.
With the setting-up of EWS-FNS, it is hoped that the nutrition situation of the municipality will be improved with the EWS team’s better appreciation of nutrition indicators and timely and appropriate implementation of nutrition interventions. //NGS
