Cebu City – Feed the Children, one of the non-government organization-member of the Central Visayas Regional Nutrition Committee (RNC) reaffirmed their engagement with the interagency body. The commitment was firmed up during the advocacy meeting held on 24 August with Feed’s Country Director, Ms. Ofelia R. Cardeno and Program Coordinator and RNC-TWG member, Ms. Marrianne Lyn L. Ramirez. The meeting was done via zoom conference call with Dr. Parolita A. Mission, Central Visayas’ Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator representing NNC 7. Nutritionist-Dietitian II of the DOH CV CHD/NNC 7 facilitated the meeting.
The RNC, an affiliate committee of the Regional Development Council (RNC) is highest policy and coordinating body for nutrition in the region. It is tasked to issue policies and implementing guidelines that will support the nutrition program in the region, coordinate and monitor the implementation of agency nutrition programs in support of the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN), formulate a Regional Plan of Action for Nutrition (RPAN), and undertake projects/activities aimed at capacitating the local nutrition committees and mobilizing support for the PPAN in the region.
Feed the Children is currently implementing child-focused community development approach to meet immediate and long-term needs of children, their families, and communities. In the Philippines, Feed is working since 1984 to improve the nutritional status of young children; promote access to education through various forms of educational support; encourage healthy behaviors by providing training on water, sanitation, and hygiene; and empower families and communities to overcome poverty and become self-sustaining.
The RNC-TWG who serves as the technical and implementing arm of the RNC was also reviewed. The TWG consisting of nutrition focal person of each RNC member agency, is comprised of twenty (20) national government agencies, six (6) non-government organizations as well as reps of the four (4) provinces and three (3) highly urbanized cities of Central Visayas. The body will formulate and execute policies, directives and guidelines set by the RNC, draft the RPAN responsive to the nutrition situation, act as the Regional Nutrition Evaluation Team that will assess effective and efficient implementation of nutrition program of local government units, provide technical assistance to program implementers at the local level based on their agency/organization’s mandates, and ensure that developmental program(s) implemented by his/her agency will have nutrition objectives, considerations or components and/or their programs are tweaked to contribute to the achievement of the nutrition outcome as defined in the RPAN.
The imperatives as to why we need to invest in nutrition was also discussed. The Feed’s various accomplishments and programs was also shared as well as the agency’s participation in RNC, RNC-TWG meetings and other activities.
After the presentation, both parties agreed on ways to further strengthen their engagements and contribution for the attainment of the RPAN objectives to further improve the nutritional status of every Juan and Juana in Central Visayas. // ND II Mary Carmeli C. Garrovillo, RND
