Cebu City – The National Nutrition Council Region VII pushes nutrition agenda among indigenous peoples (IP) as it actively participates in the activities of the Regional Inter-Agency Committee (RIAC). The RIAC in Central Visayas is led by the DOH and is composed of NCIP, DILG, DepEd, DOLE, CHED, DSWD, PhilHealth and NNC.
During its 3rd quarter meeting for the year 2022, NNC 7 shared the Regional Nutrition Committee’s nutrition specific, nutrition sensitive services and enabling interventions for indigenous peoples in the region. The meeting presided by Dr. Jonathan Neil V. Erasmo, the LHSD Chief of DOH CV CHD also tackled RA 8371 or The Indigenous People’s Health Act of 1997 and the DOH-NCIP-DILG Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2013-01 or the Guidelines on the Delivery of Basic Health. In this matter, Dr. Jabadan of NCIP talked about the culture of the IP and how most people aren’t sensitive enough towards what the IP stands for and their way of life.
She also oriented the members of the different regional agencies on the basic rights that the IP may avail and how most of them are hesitant to approach health centers due to the culture insensitivities they have experienced. As NCIP representative advocates to for the rights of the IP, the RIAC meeting allowed both old and new members to peek into 2018-2022 Strategic Plan for IP Health and propose new programs that the IP may avail.
NNC 7 always operates with the vision of having improved nutrition of all Filipinos. With that in mind, NNC 7 hopes to extend specific programs to the indigenous pregnant women and 0-59 months children thru the First 1000 Days interventions, as this stage of a child’s life is crucial for the development of a growing children and every single Filipino, regardless of culture or ethnic background. They must always have the comfort and ease to access this basic right. ND II Mary Carmeli C. Garrovillo, RND
