Amlan, Negros Oriental – The Municipal Nutrition Committee spearheaded by the Local Chief Executive, Hon. Manuel Jose Sycip together with Municipal Nutrition Action Officer, Dr. Erick Jude T. Briones initiated the workshop on Enhancing Nutrition Action Plans and Budgets in the Barangay Level on 3-4 November 2022 at the Regional Evacuation Center, Barangay Tambojangin, Amlan, Negros Oriental. Participants of the said workshop were barangay captains, kagawad on health, barangay treasurers, midwives, nurses, and barangay nutrition scholars. The aim of the workshop is to capacitate the barangay nutrition committees in their formulation of barangay nutrition action plans and ensure the integration of nutrition in their annual investment plans.

The topics covered in the 2-day workshop were the Nutrition Situation of the municipality of Amlan, Investing in Nutrition with Results, Understanding the Legal Basis for Managing Nutrition Programs, Situating Nutrition Program Management in the Local Development System, Organizing or Revitalizing Local Nutrition Committee, Phases, Steps, and Activities in Nutrition Program Management, Assessing the Nutrition Situation, Identifying and Prioritizing of Interventions, Formulating the Workplan and Nutrition in Emergencies Orientation. All of these sessions aimed to help all the members of the barangay nutrition committees to realize the importance of nutrition programs in their areas.

All 8 barangays were able to analyze their nutrition situation and created a problem tree that identified the causes of the malnutrition problem in their barangays. Through this, they were able to classify and prioritize nutrition interventions that would specifically address the malnutrition problem. Barangay nutrition committees also had a better understanding of their roles and functions which will strengthen their support for the nutrition programs. They also saw opportunities where they can get their budget source to fund their Barangay Nutrition Action Plans.

Through this workshop, the LGU was able to yield 8 Barangay Nutrition Action Plans that are for proposal and approval to their respective Barangay Nutrition Committees. The municipality of Amlan is hopeful that through this capacity building, they are one step higher towards their efforts in decreasing their malnutrition problem. // ND II Shaira Vita A. Calumpang, RND