Better collaboration, provision of budgets and constant monitoring are only of the few key strategies employed by the Municipality of Salcedo in the Province of Eastern Samar on their nutrition program implementation to reduce malnutrition as stated by the Municipal Nutrition Action Officer (MNAO) and, at the same time, by the Budget Officer of this town, Mrs. Luzviminda N. Abrugar.

In order to carry this out, the Local Government Unit has scheduled a Barangay Nutrition Action Plan (BNAP) Formulation on 26-28 February 2020 at the Municipal Building of the said municipality. The three-day planning workshop aimed at coming up with BNAP 2020-2022 at every barangay. The activity enables the Barangay Kagawad and the Barangay Nutrition Scholar to identify and prioritize interventions that will suit the needs of their constituents particularly the children. The BNAP is the local version of the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN), the country's directional framework for nutrition improvement.

Meanwhile, the aim of a nutritionally well-nourished municipality is a team effort and is an accountability of everyone shared by the Municipal Health Officer, Dr. Ma. Socorro S. Campo. The LGU has provided capacity enhancement for the municipality staff and nutrition advocates in the past three years to include basic course for the barangay nutrition scholars, nutrition in emergencies and early childhood care in the first 1,000 days program.

“This planning workshop for the barangays is our continued effort in lobbying and prioritizing the nutrition interventions at the barangay level,” shared by MNAO Abrugar. “If proper budget allocation and appropriate program identification, aligned with the PPAN, surely, we will reap a reduce malnutrition rate in the next coming years,” she added. 

The three-day BNAP formulation workshop was facilitated by the National Nutrition Council 8 headed by RNPC Catalino P. Dotollo, Jr., together with NOIII Niño Archie S. Labordo and NOII Ullasini J. Pangan. All the 41 barangays of the municipality are expected to provide and submit a copy of the BNAP 2020-2022 after it is approved by the Barangay Council.

The fifth-class municipality is gaining popularity because of its continued efforts in good governance. Under the good leadership of Atty. Melchor L. Melgar, the town was a consistent recipient of the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in the delivery of basic services, including the nutrition program implementation. #NASLabordo