Alegria, Cebu – The secretariat local nutrition cluster of Alegria, Cebu composed of select health and nutrition personnel has drafted a Nutrition in Emergency (NiE) plan. The revitalization of the plan was a result of the technical assistance provided by Cebu Information Management Officer Gabe Henriel Sucalit who facilitated the planning session held on 10 August 2022 at the Rural Health Unit of said municipality. The session was attended by MNAO/MHO Dr. Claire Cardona, MNPC/PHN Rosa Darlenita Chua, Nutrition Focal Person Julebi Anhao, and Nurse II Mia Shara Corpuz. Before the plan formulation, IMO Sucalit discussed the basics of Nutrition in Emergencies and the importance of information management.
Last December 2021, Typhoon Odette (international name, Rai) had badly stricken the southern part of Cebu province including Alegria, affecting more than half a million residents, and causing more than Php 15 million in damages. As part of the nutrition management response during disasters and emergencies, the Regional Nutrition Committee has deployed personnel to pan-out Nutrition Service Package in the affected areas, especially to the children below 5 years old, and pregnant and lactating women.
The Alegria team prepared the NiE plan that contains the nutrition services that are part of emergency preparedness, response, and recovery to prevent deterioration of nutritional status and death of the affected population. The plan also covered the LGU's directions on strategies for nutrition management in emergencies and disasters, particularly on planning, surveillance, rapid nutritional assessment, and implementation of nutrition interventions at various stages.
The plan formulated was generally based on the National Policy on Nutrition Management in Emergencies and Disasters that applies to all sectors, whether government, non-government or private institutions whose functions and activities contribute to the prevention of a deterioration in the nutritional status of Filipinos particularly the most vulnerable groups: infants, children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers, older persons, people with disabilities, and people living with debilitating conditions during emergencies and disasters.
The next steps for the LGU to undertake are to reorganize the Municipal Nutrition Cluster, finalize the NiE plan and integrate the same into the DRRM-H plan for budget appropriation and identify a local Information Management Officer. // Cebu IMO Gabe Sucalit, RND
