Basay, Negros Oriental – As COVID-19 transitions to endemic and now communities have higher immunity from vaccination, Basay resumes the Idol ko si Nanay learning sessions in all barangays.

On 8 November 2022, the Idol ko si Nanay session this year was launched in Barangay Maglinao to select pregnant & lactating women and mothers of malnourished children with Mrs. Lady Bird Jade P. Ambo, NDP, and Mrs. Secora Sultan, RHM as facilitators. Barangay Cabatuanan started on 9 November while other barangays such as Barangays Bal-os and Nagbo-alao started this nutrition education package on 10 November 2022. The remaining barangays are set to begin the sessions within the month of November. The IKSN sessions in all 10 barangays in the municipality are expected to end and will have their closing activity and graduation around December this year.

All health and nutrition workers in the municipality discussed the IKSN modules wholeheartedly with the participants to let them know the importance of the First 1,000 Days of life in a child and the overall health and nutrition to fight against stunting and all forms of malnutrition. The Municipal Health Office and the BHSs are targeting that this effort would make a huge impact in decreasing malnutrition in the municipality aside from the services and projects implemented as the municipality constantly has the highest malnutrition rate in the province.

Way back in 2020, around 50 health and nutrition workers in the municipality were trained on the use of IKSN modules which were conducted by ECCD F1k Coordinator and DMO II, Ms. Kristal Katrina Bacay, and Mr. Rodney S. Zamora, NDDP-then from CVCHD. The MHO, with the leadership of Dra. Jacqueline Ann B. Valencia, MHO/MNAO back then, launched the IKSN modules in barangay Poblacion as the pilot barangay. They had planned to launch it in all barangays last year but was not run due to the hectic community mass vaccination activities.

The Idol ko si Nanay modules conducted in all barangays would not be made possible without the full support from the LGU of Basay. // ND II Jhianne Mae Nicole C. Tugaoen, RND