Dalaguete Cebu - The Municipal Nutrition Committee (MNC) of Dalaguete headed by its mayor and Chair Hon. Ronald Allan G. Cesante is hopeful to further improve the implementation of their nutrition program with the inputs to be provided by the Philippine Multisectoral Nutrition Project (PMNP).
PMNP is a bold, multi-sectoral nutrition project to be funded by the World Bank to deliver a coordinated package of nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions across the various LGU platforms. The project aims to increase the simultaneous utilization of a package of nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions and improve key health behaviors and practices known to reduce stunting in target LGUs.
The World Bank team led by Dr. Nkosi Mbuya, Ms. Birte Holm Soresen, Dr. Cecilia Acuin, DOH central office representative Ms. Joey R. Jade, and KALAHI CIDDS CO Ms. Loida Abela visited Dalaguete to assess the nutrition situation of Dalaguete Cebu for the future implementation of the project.
The MNC headed by Mayor Cesante had a sit-in focused group discussion with the World Bank team. The mayor had the opportunity to ask his questions and expressed his concern in regard to the project and the role of his LGU in project implementation. Dr. Mbuya in his talk shared the objective of the visit, and his observations and said that “The World Bank is here to understand the area, the situation. Nutrition is very complex and requires strong leadership and good coordination with other sectors. Strong commitment to this challenge, is more on the actions than what you say. It is impressive that the nutrition budget is supported by an ordinance, and the diversity of the activities is equally impressive not only nutrition-specific but also nutrition sensitive like the agriculture sector. There is also a combination of nutrition and exercise which is not common in other countries”. He also later added that “The key intervention of the project is promoting nutrition since you (the Municipality of Dalaguete) are already implementing, improving the tools kits like for counseling and the like, we provide guidelines not adapting LGUs context to a different contact, tweak plans a little but not change”.
The discussion ended on a light note that the MNC including the mayor himself was enlightened on the project’s implementation mechanism. The world bank then hopes that the municipality will be part of the project and that a contract signing on a memorandum of agreement will take place soon.
The team also went to barangay Sacsac where they were warmly welcomed by the Punong Barangay (PB) and BNC Chair Hon. Elmer Bilar Licaros also expressed his heartfelt thanks that their barangay was chosen as one of the areas to be visited by the World Bank team and PMNP team. After the discussions, PB Licaros mentioned that “whatever nutrition program is going to be implemented, I hope that it is applicable in our barangay, for us to benefit from it and for your efforts not to go to waste”. // DMO II Christine Lopez, RND
