Region VII

Details: Category: Region 7; Published: 15 August 2014

Cebu City – The annual convergence of the Nutrition Action Officers (NAOs) in the region, dubbed the Regional Nutrition Action Officers Congress held on 08 August 2014 at Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino, Salinas Drive, Cebu City was graced by the Regional Development Chair and Bohol Governor, Honorable Edgardo M. Chatto, as the congress’ keynote speaker.

In his keynote address elaborating on the theme “NAO’s key role in preventing nutrition emergencies”, Governor Chatto stressed the pivotal role NAOs play in activating the Nutrition Cluster during emergencies and disasters and orchestrating all the efforts of the members of the cluster including international partners and other stakeholders to ensure that nutrition assessment and interventions are in place. Taking into light the recent earthquake that has ravaged Bohol Province, Governor Chatto shed light on the contribution of Nutrition Action Officers in preventing the worsening of the nutrition situation in heavily affected areas with the help of the members of the nutrition committees, MNAOs, municipal nutrition program coordinators and the barangay nutrition scholars. He also emphasized the role of NAOs in achieving the Millennium Development Goals particularly Goal 1. He concluded his speech by lauding the NAOs and the work they are doing despite being an added responsibility on top of their prime designation.

Details: Category: Region 7; Published: 29 August 2014

Cebu City – The nutrition program managers in Central Visayas committed to organize Nutrition Clusters in their respective local government units and complete the remaining batches of Promote Good Nutrition – Infant and Young Child Feeding (PGN-IYCF) training for barangays. These were among the major agreements reached by the Nutrition Action Officers (NAOs) who attended the 3^rd Quarter Regional Management Conference held on 28 to 29 August 2014 at the Cebu Grand Hotel, Cebu City.

Nutrition Cluster is a coordination mechanism that aims to ensure effective and strategic emergency nutrition responses. This is composed of government, non-government organization and international humanitarian agencies that take the lead in nutrition management during emergencies and disasters. The cluster mainly focuses on overall response coordination, partner capacity-building, assessment and emergency preparedness, and improving coverage of emergency nutrition programmes. The organization of nutrition clusters is in response to the National Nutrition Council Governing Board Resolution No. 1 s. 2000, adopting the DOH National Policy on Nutrition Management in Emergencies and Disasters. The policy specifies the guidelines to be followed in the delivery of nutrition and nutrition related services for the vulnerable groups during emergencies and disasters. The DOH Department Personnel Order 2007-2492 designated NNC as the chair of the Nutrition Cluster within the Health Emergency Cluster.

Promote Good Nutrition (PGN) program of the NNC on the other hand, started its implementation in 2007 as a component program of the Accelerated Hunger Mitigation Program. The PGN includes the conduct of training for community-based implementers that covers infant and young child counselling, Pabasa sa Nutrisyon, promotion of eggs and vegetables using developed syllabi, and the Nutritional Guidelines for Filipinos. It also includes the production and distribution of IEC materials to local government units and schools and the conduct of multi-media campaign on nutrition. The PGN aims to improve the food and nutrition knowledge, attitudes and practices of families.

Details: Category: Region 7; Published: 30 September 2014

Cebu City – Dr. Shelbay G. Blanco, newly elected President of Cebu Municipal Nutrition Action Officers (MNAO) Association challenges his members to be proactive in managing the nutrition program in their respective municipalities. He expressed his concerns that “nutrition is being neglected by some local government units” and dares the MNAOs to “not just be leaders of health, but managers of the nutrition program who can do something to change the Cebu Province nutrition landscape”.

Dr. Blanco began his role as president assuming his first term of office co-presiding the 3^rd MNAO Meeting Series 2014 Meeting held on 27 August this year at Cebu Grand Hotel, Cebu City. Intended to give updates and provide technical assistance to the nutrition action officers, said meeting covered a host of topics deemed by the Provincial and Regional Nutrition Committees as vital for the newly installed officers and members of the Association.

Dr. Blanco along with Dr. Parolita A. Mission, NPC of NNC 7 chaired the meeting attended by 35 nutrition action officers throughout the Cebu province. Discussed were matters along Nutrition Surveillance and Information Management System by Mr. Narciso C. Sevilla Jr., DNPC of Cebu province; Nutrition Capability Building Services and Nutrition Planning and Formulation – Multilevel Program Formulation presented by Ms. Norre Jean V. delos Santos and Ms. Susan Y. Orpilla, NO I and NO III of NNC 7, respectively. Agreements and next steps were shared by Dr. Jenina Lape, Vice President of Cebu MNAO Association and Balamban MNAO.// Glomel Jane Sanchez, CTU DevCom Intern

Details: Category: Region 7; Published: 29 August 2014

Cebu City – Twenty seven (27) new trainers were developed by NNC 7 to add to the existing pool of trainers on the Basic Course for Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS) after these trainees attended the Training of Trainers on Basic Course for BNSs. The training was held on 25 to 29 August, 2014 at the Cebu Grand Hotel, Cebu City. The new trainers consisting of Municipal Nutrition Program Coordinators (MNPCs) and some Municipal Nutrition Action Officers (MNAOs) from the municipalities of Bohol and Cebu Province will train the new BNSs in their respective municipalities.

The BNSs are among the core of individuals who deserve attention in terms of training and capability building. The deployment of at least one BNS in every barangay in the Philippines is mandated by Presidential Decree 1569. The BNSs are community-based volunteers who are tasked to identify, locate and monitor nutritionally at-risk children, assist in the delivery of nutrition and related services in their area of deployment and refer nutritionally at-risk families to service providers. Thus, they are recognized as one of the critical human resources that could contribute to the improvement of the barangay nutrition situation and the achievement of the goals of the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition and, in turn, the Millennium Development Goals.

Details: Category: Region 7; Published: 30 September 2014

Cebu City – As part of the ST Yolanda nutrition rehabilitation efforts, NNC 7 and AmeriCares distributed weighing scales, height boards and infantometers to the fifteen (15) municipalities in Cebu Province that was badly affected by the said storm.

With the help of AmeriCares, a total of two hundred fifteen (215) height boards, two hundred eight (208) weighing scales and two hundred sixty nine (269) infantometers were handed out to the different barangays in the fifteen (15) municipalities. These tools would be used by the Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNSs) and the local nutrition personnel to monitor the nutritional status of the children within these respective barangays.

The distribution of height and weight measuring tools led by NPC Dr. Parolita A. Mission started on 23 September 2014 for the City of Bogo and municipalities of Tabogon, Borbon and Sogod. Borbon Mayor Bernard A. Sepulvida who personally received the tools together with some Barangay Captains and BNSs expressed his appreciation to NNC and AmeriCares. He vowed his support for the implementation of the nutrition program in his town and provide for the needs of the BNSs. The same set of measuring instruments was distributed on 24 and 25 September 2014 for Tabuelan, San Remegio, Medillen and Daan Bantayan; and Madridejos, Santa Fe and Bantayan, respectively. Mr. Paul Tagaran and Engr. Donald Lobingco of AmeriCares witnessed the turn-over in Bogo City and San Remegio. The last batch of distribution will be on 02 October 2014 for the municipalities of Poro, Tudela, San Francisco, and Pilar, Camotes.

AmeriCares also provided funding support for the 15 batches of BNS training in 15 Yolanda-affected municipalities.

AmeriCares is a non-profit disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization providing immediate response to emergency medical needs and supporting long-term health care initiatives for people in the United States and around the world. It organizes emergency response teams to deliver urgently needed aid to survivors of disasters. Such aid includes medicines, medical supplies, water or water purification treatments and other critically needed resources.

NNC 7 would like to thank Mr. Riaz Khalil and Mr. Bret McEvoy and to AmeriCares for providing the height boards, weighing scales and infantometers and the capacity building fund for BNSs. //DFB

Details: Category: Region 7; Published: 15 September 2014

Cebu City – National Nutrition Council 7 led by Dr. Parolita A. Mission, Nutrition Program Coordinator, together with the officers and members of the Media Information Network for Nutrition and Development 7 (MIND 7), headed by its President and Station Manager of DYLA & Kapisanan ng mga Broadcaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) Cebu Chapter President, Mr. Jun P. Tagalog, joined the KBP’s back-to-back events in launching the Broadcasters’ Month celebration: the Broadcastreeing and the Grand Parade on 31 August and 07 September 2014, respectively.

About 3000 seedlings were planted by close to 200 participants during the Oplan Broadcastreeing. The Urban Greening Project is a tree planting activity which is being coordinated by the KBP and DILG together with the DENR which is the main implementer of the National Greening Program per Executive Order No. 26 signed by President Benigno Aquino III. The nationwide simultaneous tree planting activity was held in areas identified by the DENR as sites where the National Greening Program is being implemented. The Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNSs) of Cebu City led by their President, Ms. Inocencia Tambulero joined the activity as well. The NNC 7, MIND 7 team and the BNSs headed back towards the City past 11:00 a.m. that day feeling satisfied and savoring good memories.

In related development, NNC 7 and MIND 7 participated the Grand Parade on 07 September 2014 to open the Broadcasters Month celebration this September. The activity was spearheaded by the KBP Cebu Chapter. The walkers assembled at Fuente Osmeña and passed through the major thoroughfares of Cebu City particularly Osmeña Blvd., Colon Street, D. Jakosalem Street and Sanciangko Street. The walk ended at the University of the Visayas gymnasium where a mass and a short program took place.