Mandaue City – The members of the Scaling Up Nutrition Civil Society Alliance agreed on their priorities to contribute to bettering the nutrition situation in the region. The agreements were reached during the breakout session held on 27 April 2022 when the network convened for the 2nd meeting for the Central Visayas Scaling-Up Nutrition Network at Performing Arts Lab, Cebu Doctor’s University in Cebu City.
The Sun Civil Society Alliance in Central Visayas better called the SUN CSA is a network composed of foundations, and non-government and faith-based organizations operating in Central Visayas.
The session presided by the SUN CSA Chair Mr. Rembert Artigo of the Rotaract Clubs of Cebu encouraged all participating organizations to interact and to be more involved in contributing their nutrition and related programs, projects, and activities (PPAs) according to the capabilities of their own organization. The body also reviewed the initially agreed PPAs of the previous meeting, laid out the SUN Networks’ Plans for C.Y. 2022-2023, and sharing of the organizations’ strategies for nutrition-specific, nutrition-sensitive, and enabling programs. The members eagerly shared their own current plans and programs and committed to reaching the targets proposed by NNC 7 for this year.
Other than the sharing sessions, partnerships were formed with the purpose of doing more in the battle to end stunting and other forms of malnutrition besetting the region. Rise and Rebuild International Foundation together with Latter-Day Saints Charities pledged to align their programs with the Regional and Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition.
The body then decided to focus on dietary supplementation programs, nutrition education, dietary and breastfeeding counseling for pregnant women; urban gardening and tree planting of fruit-bearing trees; and the conduct of social media campaigns on preparing low-cost yet healthy recipes.
The session closed with the election of the Vice-Chair and members of the SUN CSA core group and a pledge of commitment made by all the members to implement all the agreements made by the SUN CSA. // NO I Gab Flores, RND
