Cebu City - New year, new contracts… this has been the professional reality of human resources in the Deployment Program of the Department of Health all over the Philippines. This journey has been faced by these personnel annually, and the contribution of these human resources in mobilizing local government units for greater outcomes, especially in the field of nutrition is unprecedented. This 2023, the National Nutrition Council of Region VII is grateful to have been allocated twelve (12) Nutritionist Dietitians (NDs) under the National Health Workforce Support System.
These NDs will be deployed in the municipalities of Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor, handling two to three municipalities. With the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) as the main framework of the implementation of nutrition programs, their main function is to ensure that the local nutrition program aligned with PPAN, is running well in the LGUs they cover. This may be done by acting and ensuring the functionality of the Local Nutrition Committees headed by the local chief executives (LCE) and other strategies based on the local situation. The main challenge is to rally support from LCEs to increase investments in nutrition, integrate local nutrition action plans in the development plans, and ensure their implementation.
Another function of NDs is to assist in the provision of capacity development of the local nutrition workers and the local nutrition committees. Capacity development is a key ingredient since the implementation of the latest approach, using scientific-based strategies will result in better outcomes.
This critical function needs above-average skills and knowledge as a criterion, and charisma to pull off this task. As of now, the Department of Health Central Visayas Center for Health Development, in partnership with the National Nutrition Council Region VII is striving hard to capacitate our local government units, in preparation for the full devolution of nutrition services next year. // DMO II Kristal Katrina Bacay, RN
