La Libertad, Negros Oriental - The Municipal Nutrition Committee (MNC) of La Libertad lead by its Chair and Municipal Mayor Hon. Mayor Emmanuel L. Iway assists its residents especially after Typhoon Odette (international name Rai) hit the province on 16 December 2021 by distributing 25 kilos of rice, chicken meat, fish, vegetables, medicines, to every household in the municipality. Even in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and five months after the Typhoon Odette, the MNC is continuing providing help to the people in all the twenty-nine barangays of the town.

As quoted from Mayor Iway, “Tungod sa pagdaut sa ekonomiya nato tungod sa bagyong Odette, sa Covid nga pandemya ug sa gyera sa Ukraine, nga kini maoy nakapa taas sa presyo sa gasoline ug sa uban palaliton, naka desisyon ang LGU La Libertad nga walay kalingawan para sa atong Pandanyag Festival kay ato nalang gamiton ang atong budget para iayuda kay daghan pang pamilya nga wala pa ka bangon sa niaging bagyo”.

Pandanyag Festival is annual celebration held every last week of April as a thanksgiving for the bountiful harvest of crops, bananas, pandan and other agricultural products.

The COVID-19 pandemic and vulnerability to natural disasters highlighted the urgency to further boost the food security of the municipality. It is for this reason that the MNC prioritized food security and help raise the income of farmers. Mayor Iway added “Magsugod napud ta ug panghatag og ½ sack nga bugas kada household”. He further advised his constituents to coordinate with their barangay officials for the said assistance.

The pandemic and recently, natural disasters, serve as wake-up call for all stakeholders to look for opportunities to improve food security and the food value chain network to help address hunger and malnutrition. // ND II Chutsvieka May Pacatang, RND