Palo Leyte - Nutrition Officers of the National Nutrition Council (NNC) together with the Department of Health (DOH) - Health and Management Staff (HEMS) Manager or their representatives from the different regions of the country attended the Training of Trainers on Nutrition Cluster Management on 25-27, March 2019 at Microtel Inn & Suites in Davao City.

“Without data we cannot plan”, NNC Executive Director Azucena M. Dayanghirang expressed the importance of data during her opening message. Being equipped with information management tools will enable the local government to provide proper response and save livesespecially during and after emergencies, ED Dayanghirang explained.

The three-day training of trainers provided the participants relevant inputs particularly on: (1) Overview of Information Management in support to Nutrition in Emergencies in the Philippines; (2) Information Management Concepts and tools; (3) Roles of the Information Management Officer in the Humanitarian Context and Data Privacy Act; and (4) Planning for a Functional Information Management System for Nutrition in Emergencies.

Region VIII is one of the most vulnerable regions in the country, DOH-HEMS Manager Fidelita Dico and NOIII Nino Archie S. Labordo during the re-entry planning proposed for a roll out training to include as participants are the developmental partners in the region, disaster prone municipalities and municipalities with high support to nutrition program.

The roll-out training on Nutrition Cluster Information Management is scheduled from August to November 2019 for the six (6) Provinces and subsequently for another series of training for ten (10) municipalities per province in the region. This will further help LGUs to establish nutrition in emergency cluster and formulate nutrition emergency plan including a functional nutrition information management officer. 

Department Personnel Order (DPO) No. 2007-2492A serves as a legal mandate for the creation of Nutrition Cluster which aims to ensure that vulnerable groups: infants, children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers, older persons, PWDs, people living with debilitating conditions will not worsen or deteriorate during emergencies or disasters. (NASLabordo)