Cebu City—The Regional Nutrition Committee secretariat noted compliance of some LGUs of the RNC Resolution No. 021-03 (s.2021) entitled the “Strengthening the LGU Nutrition Program Through the Establishment of Nutrition Office at the Provincial. City, Municipal Levels and Hiring of LGU Full Time Personnel for Nutrition and Inclusion of the Same in LGUs’ Devolution Transition Plan”.
This was observed during the presentation of LGU updates during the 2nd Regional Management Conference s 2021 held very recently. The same observation was also noted in the 2021 report of accomplishments submitted by LGUs to the regional office.
The Local Chief Executives thru the Nutrition Action Officers of the different areas of Central Visayas are encouraged to increase their nutrition budget with the financial windfall brought about by the Mandanas-Garcia Supreme Court ruling by investing in key program, projects and activities targeting nutritionally at-risk children and pregnant women.
Programs, plans and activities during the first 1000 days should be prioritized. These include dietary supplementation program for nutritionally at-risk pregnant women and children 6-23 months, expansion of prenatal coverage, micronutrient supplementation, and promotion of breastfeeding. Other programs that need to be focused are the Philippine Management of Acute Malnutrition, redesigning and implementation of nutrition sensitive programs and enabling programs such as establishment of nutrition offices, creation of plantilla positions for nutrition office and institutionalization of nutrition policies.
Prioritizing nutrition PPAs is the key for taller, healthier, and brilliant children. The future of an improved nutrition landscape of the different provinces, municipalities, cities and barangays rest upon the leaders of the community.// NO I Christine April M. Lopez, RND
