Cebu City - The newly-hired Nutritionist-Dietitians under the Nutritionist Dietitians Deployment Program (NDDP) were endorsed to Cebu Province to kick off their stints in local governments. The new batch composed of three (3) NDs will be assigned in South Cebu to assist their assigned local government units in planning, implementing, and coordinating their respective local nutrition action plans to ensure alignment with the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition. The areas of the assignment are based on the prevalence of stunting and other forms of malnutrition in the region based on 2021 OPT Plus results.
Each ND is set to handle three local government units (LGUs). The following newly hired NDs are Ms. Bea E. Margaux Cornelia assigned in Barili, Dumanjug, and Sibonga. Another ND will cover the municipalities of Balamban, Asturias, and Pinamungajan in the person of Ms. Abigail Q. Ambe and Ms. Irene M. Umagap will be working with the nutrition stakeholders in Malabuyoc, Alegria, and Badian.
The NDDP is a human resource augmentation program of the DOH under the National Health Workforce Support System. NDs under the program are tasked with organizing and conducting local nutrition action planning workshops, finalizing these plans and in integrating nutrition concerns in local development plans and annual investment programs; assisting LGUs in implementing nutrition-specific interventions; coordinating with different stakeholders in assisting the implementation of various nutrition programs; assist in monitoring and evaluation of local nutrition action plans; participate in gathering nutrition-related data and response during health emergencies and disasters; act as a resource person, facilitator in capability building activities and advocacies; assist in documenting good practices, initiatives and indigenous knowledge and practices related to nutrition; and perform other functions as may be assigned by the immediate supervisor in relation to job tasks.
It has been observed in the past years that the presence of these NDs created an impact on the improvement of the nutrition landscape in the region. To date, there is a total of twenty (20) NDs who are deployed in different areas of Central Visayas.
With their presence in priority LGUs, the DOH CV CHD and NNC 7 are positive that this could help the local governments in providing quality nutrition services to the community and help in addressing the nutrition problem in the region to head towards a better community with healthy families. // PNFP Siquijor Mary Bliss Joy P. Iguana, RND
