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- Category: Region 7
Tabogon, Cebu – The 25 Barangay Nutrition Committees (BNC) of this 3rd class municipality north of Cebu integrate nutrition in their Devolution Transition Plans. This was firmed up on 26 November 2021 during Barangay Pulong-pulong sa F1KD. The activity was organized by the Municipal Nutrition Committee (MNC) with technical support from Helen Keller International and the National Nutrition Council (NNC) thru the HRH for Nutrition assigned in the municipality. The gathering was participated by the Punong Barangays, Barangay Treasurers, Barangay Secretaries, Kagawad on Health, BNSs, Midwives and the NDPs assigned in each barangay.
The event was a follow through activity of the Dialogue with Punong Barangays organized by NNC 7 recently. In the pulong-pulong, the Punong Barangays were able to cite successes and challenges in all their nutrition activities. They have come up to a realization that monitoring of the barangay health workers and barangay nutrition scholars is very essential in the program implementation. They also recognized that the barangay should support all the activities of health and nutrition since they have already seen the prevalence of malnutrition and its effect.
Read more: Tabogon BNCs integrate nutrition in their Devolution Transition Plans
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- Category: Region 7
Sta Catalina, Negros Oriental – The Municipal Nutrition Committee (MNC) of this coastal barangay of Negros Oriental perks up its nutrition program by initiating an award system for its best performing barangays. The awards include the Outstanding Barangay, which was given to the top 3 barangays, the Best Nutrition Practices, Best Complementary Feeding Practices award, Barangay with the Lowest Prevalence of Stunting and Wasting, Quarterly Outstanding BNS, and the Most Outstanding BNS of the Year award.
The MNC with the assistance of the Human Resource for Health (HRH) deployed Nutritionist initiated their first-ever nutrition evaluation of the barangays in the municipality as basis for the awards. The month-long evaluation assessed barangays using the Monitoring and Evaluation of Local Level Planning Implementation Pro (MELLPI-Pro) tool. The evaluation process has contributed greatly in terms of promoting the nutrition program to the barangays and has effectively increased the barangays’ nutrition budget and improved the implementation of their activities and programs.
The initiative has encouraged the barangays to give importance to nutrition. Through this effort, the MNC of Sta. Catalina hopes to motivate their barangays to improve further their nutrition program inspire other municipalities in creating an initiative to highlight the importance of nutrition. // ND II Jhianne Mae Nicole C. Tugaoen, RND
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- Category: Region 7
Medellin, Cebu - It’s been a year ago when the world stopped moving - companies shut their doors to workers, nations closed their boarders, and people were forced to stay at home and locked their doors to visitors. Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic that we are currently facing, everything seems still and unmoving. But surprisingly, the number of babies born from unprepared minor mothers are getting higher. The case of teenage pregnancy increases over time!
In one of the barangays of this sleepy town north of Cebu, an increasing number of teenage pregnancies was noted. This is not surprising as the Philippines recorded the highest teenage pregnancy rates in the ASEAN region. The Commission on Population and Development has recorded a 7% increase in births among girls aged 15 and below in 2019. Filipino minors who gave birth in 2019 increased to 62,510 from 62,341 in 2018. In 2019, 2,411 very young adolescents aged 10 to 14 gave birth, or almost seven every day. The influence of social media is a factor of these increase as now a day’s teenagers are fond of watching websites. They are curious of what they’ve seen and eager to apply it based on what they see.
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- Category: Region 7
Bohol - The Girl Scout of the Philippines (GSP) – Bohol Chapter conducted a Malnutrition Talk entitled ‘Project KAHIDLAW, Bol-anong Himsog, Susi sa Pag-isbog’ on 26 November 2021. The event was conducted in an online setting via zoom and was attended by more than forty members of the GSP-Bohol Chapter. The GSP – Bohol Chapter aims to spread awareness of the problem of malnutrition and importance good nutrition in the new normal.
The first topic ‘Girls Against Malnutrition’ was presented by Ms. Franz Cassandra R. Ontina, RND, the Human Resources of Health for Nutrition assigned in Bohol Provincial Health Office. She imparted to the girls the different types of malnutrition and the status of malnutrition of children and adolescents in the Philippines. The essence of being a woman in the life cycle and the First 1000 Days of Life was also discussed.
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- Category: Region 7
Cebu Province – On 02 December 2021, the Municipality of San Fernando held a Buntis Congress activity at the Municipal Hall Lobby with Fifty (50) expectant mothers from all barangays as participants.
The Rural Health Unit of San Fernando has been preparing for the said activity since June 2021. It was supposedly the culminating activity for this year’s Nutrition Month but was moved further due to surging COVID-19 cases.
This year’s Buntis Congress aimed to complement the 2021 Nutrition Month theme “Malnutrisyon patuloy na labanan, First 1000 Days tutukan!”. Dr. Alfredo P. Manugas VI, Municipal Nutrition Action Officer, spoke on the importance of family planning and opined the timeliness of the congress since most of the participants were teenage expecting mothers. He also urged them to utilize government services that are readily available to ensure mother and child safety. While modern family planning methods were explained and demonstrated bythe Public Health Nurse Mrs. Clare Angelie Barbon of the municipality.
Read more: Better Late Than Never for Expectant Mothers of San Fernando
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- Category: Region 7
Zamboaguita, Negros Oriental – The Municipal Nutrition Committee (MNC) of this 4th class municipality taps tourism sector for the nutrition program. This is one of the innovations done by the MNC to help promote tourism of the municipality to both domestic and international tourists and the nutrition of the municipality.
The start of the pandemic took its toll in all the mundane life of all the Zamboangnons. It brought adverse changes in both the tourism industry and a lot of locals have lost their jobs affecting the nutritional status of the children. The double edge sword of malnutrition: stunting and overweight among preschool children increases drastically.
The situation has caught the attention of Zamboanguita MNC. Maximizing the annual cooking contest where most of the populace are looking forward to during the Nutrition Month celebration, the MNC decided to tap food establishments and resort owners to participate in the said activity to help in the promotion of tourism. Six food establishment and resorts owners participated in the activity that promoted tourism industry and good nutrition. By using the readily available local products in the community, the participants were able to come-up with nutritious cuisine and additional recipes in their menus. This innovation also hopes to bring in opportunities to the local farmers of Zamboanguita, as the demand of local products increases with the influx of health-conscious tourists when borders start to open.
