The local government unit (LGU) of Bato, Leyte, a third class municipality in the province is now mobilizing the Municipal and Barangay Nutrition Committees through a series of trainings intended for the MNC members, barangay captains, councilors on health, midwives, nurses, barangay health workers (BHWs), barangay nutrition scholars (BNSs) and other stakeholders in the locality.

The series of activities was organized through the active LGU partnership with the MASIGLAHI, Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Philippines which project focuses on reducing acute and chronic malnutrition in 0-23 month old children and women of reproductive age, particularly pregnant and lactating mothers in the municipality.

ADRA Philippines objectives of the project are (1) inform and encourage the barangays to make nutrition an integral part of the barangay development plans, (2) facilitate the revival and establishment of the Nutrition Committees across all the barangays of Bato, and (3) establishment of Barangay Nutrition Committees (BNCs) and development of Barangay Nutrition Action Plans (BNAPs).

The conduct of trainings started on 13-15 February 2018 for the Nutrition Program Management followed with workshops on the formulation of the local nutrition action plan scheduled on 21-23 February 2018 and series of trainings in crafting the BNAPs at the barangay level in April 2018.

ADRA believes that the intention of the trainings will become effective strategies to facilitate the implementation and the sustainability of nutrition interventions which are based on the needs of men, women, boys and girls in the communities.

In 2017, the Municipality of Bato, Leyte posted with the following Operation Timbang Results for children under five years old 21.3% or 785 children are stunted, 13% or 477 children are underweight and 6.2% or 229 children are wasted.  

During the re-entry planning, MNC members together with the barangay chairpersons expressed commitment to reduce malnutrition in the municipality. (NASL)