NNC VIII is back in Daram, Samar after the successful feedback report presentation of Monitoring and Evaluation of Local Level Plan Implementation (MELLPI) to conduct Local Nutrition Action Plan (LNAP) Planning Workshop. The three (3) days LNAP planning workshop was successfully conducted and facilitated by NO III Niño Archie S. Labordo and NO I Sharmie Nicole B. Tansingco on 25-27 September 2017 at the Conference Room, Municipal Building, Daram, Samar.

The planning workshop was well attended in by the planning core group of the Municipal Nutrition Committee (MNC) composed of the Municipal Agriculture Office, Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office, Municipal Health Office, Municipal Nutrition Action Officer, DILG, DepEd, and partner Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), Plan Philippines Inc. and Philippine Business for Social Progress (PSBP).

Series of workshops were carried out to come up with the different causes of malnutrition and on how to strategically intervene on each identified problems and challenges to improve the present nutrition situation of the municipality. Each members of the core planning group of the MNC drafted their action plans and took the first step to co-ownership and responsibility in support of nutrition. NO III Nino Archie Labordo elaborated that "this is not just a plan, we have to think in terms of sustainability and that by making Daram a food secured municipality through strengthening the local agriculture through adoption of innovative agricultural techniques in consideration of the distinct geographical location of Daram" could help in the reduction of the high prevalence rate of malnutrition. Two of the many intervention programs of the Municipality are to acquire anthropometric equipment and capacity building of the nutrition and health workers on basic anthropometry to come up with quality and reliable data as the consolidated OPT Results from 2014 - 2017 is erratic. It is then agreed during the 3rd day of the planning workshop that MNC will convene on the next meeting to finalize and publish their Municipal Nutrition Action Plan and start putting the PLAN into ACTIONS. To effectively implement nutrition PPAs, MNAP is a good jumpstart to head the call for the improvement of nutrition situation and a strategy to complement actions national and local governments including the NGOs. (SNBT)