Mabinay, Negros Oriental – The National Nutrition Council Region VII thru DMO II Kristal Katrina Bacay randomly monitored the program implementation of the Tutok Kainan Supplementation Program (TKSP) in Negros Oriental. She visited Barangay Abis, Mabinay on 2 March 2023. Central Visayas simultaneously launched the TKSP Phases 3 and 4 on 16 February 2023. 

DMO II Bacay, accompanied by CNPC Florafe B. Baena of Mabinay and ND II Raya Faith A. Luce of DOH CV CHD/NNC 7 met with RHM Melca Sablaon and BNS Rhea S. Mansera, who oversee the TKSP implementation in Barangay Abis, Mabinay. With thirty-five (35) 6-23 months of children beneficiaries, the barangay opted for purok-based cluster feeding, to provide supplemental feeding nearest to the beneficiaries’ households.

Part of the monitoring is to check if the following have been accomplished by the TKSP implementers in the barangay:

• The signing of waiver or informed consent – to ensure that the beneficiaries are fully aware of the program and its objectives;
• Baseline data (height and weight) taking – this Is needed to evaluate the program effectiveness after a duration of 180 days of complementary feeding;
• Storage area of food commodities;
• Venue of feeding and feeding scheme; and
• The accomplishment of monitoring tools

To ensure the integration of other key service intervention, the Barangay Nutrition Committee (BNC) have conducted nutrition education to the parents or caregivers of beneficiaries by sharing nutritional status assessment, counseling on breastfeeding, IYCF, ante and postnatal care including family planning, and provision of health interventions such as immunization, and micronutrient supplementation.

In addition, DMO II Bacay has advised TKSP leaders to engage other members of the BNC in the provision of complementary activities such as inviting daycare workers to provide child protection and social welfare support, and DA technicians for home gardening support.

During an interview with Jelly, a mother of one of the program beneficiaries (seen in the picture), she said that she is glad that her child was included in the program as she is confident that her child’s nutritional status will be improved. She was thankful too for she now knows some key points in raising her child after attending the mother’s class organized by the BNC as part of the complementary activities of TKSP.  BNC Chair and Punong Barangay Hon. Gally Moreno Baldomar opined that this is a promising program not only in preventing stunting but also in providing behavior changes for parents of children beneficiaries. // DMO II Kristal Katrina Bacay, RN