Cebu City – The Central Visayas Association of Nutrition Action Officers, Inc., the regional association of Nutrition Action Officers in the region will focus on strengthening the association this year. This was one of the agreements reached by the officers during their meeting held very recently.

Foremost of which is the planned conduct of learning visits to Green Banner LGU awardees and activities to enhance professional growth and upgrade the knowledge and skills of NAOs on nutrition program management. The NAOs will visit recent Healthy Pilipinas 2022 Awardees - Canlaon City, Negros Oriental, and Municipality of Borbon, Cebu to learn their best nutrition practices. They will also campaign for all members to attend the online or offline NPM training organized by NNC.

The upcoming 17th Regional Congress for year 2022 shall center on strengthening the capacities of NAOs in managing the nutrition program in the new normal considering the concept of building back better, nutrition resiliency and basic survival strategies during emergencies, as well as strategies to improve implementation and monitoring of nutrition-sensitive programs, especially on food security.

The CeVANAO, Inc.’s NM special project, an annual undertaking of the association, shall also highlight the importance of nutrition in pandemic recovery and rehabilitation and share strategies to design and deliver nutrition interventions during emergencies. They will also call upon stakeholders to implement evidence-based and innovative solutions to increase resilience and improve nutrition outcomes and how to influence decision-makers to ensure that nutrition is part of the development agenda of the newly elected officials in the advent of Mandanas-Garcia Supreme Court ruling. // ND II James Aaron S. Perez, RND