Tacloban City- Samar Governor Reynolds Michael Tan and the Provincial Nutrition Committee (PNC) showed their support to nutrition programs and strategies during the National Nutrition Council 8 and the Regional Nutrition Evaluation Team’s (RNET) visit on 15-16 June 2021 in Catbalogan City, Samar.

Governor Tan who is also the Chairperson of the Provincial Nutrition Committee during the exit conference of the Monitoring and Evaluation of Local Level Plan Implementation (MELLPI) directed the Provincial Nutrition Office to get into the process and include in the budget, the honorarium for the barangay nutrition scholars in the province.

Likewise, the PNC welcomed the technical advises provided by the RNET in terms of improving and exploring possibilities of an enhanced and collaborative nutrition projects, programs and activities in Samar.

Highlighted in the two-day visit is the orientation of the Tutok Kainan Dietary Supplementation Program (TK-DSP) with the Governor and staff. In his orientation, NNC8 Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator, Dr. Catalino P. Dotollo, Jr. shared that the TK: DSP will be implemented in ten (10) municipalities of the province targeting 6-23 months old, malnourished children which will run for 180 feeding days.

The DSP according to Dr. Dotollo, will be a platform for other nutrition activities and interventions such as nutrition education classes or nutri text blast, home/ backyard vegetable gardening, sustainable livelihood projects among others.

Further, the team advocated to Governor Tan to also fund nutritionally at-risk pregnant women supplementary feeding program for 90 feeding days.

The RNET successfully provided inputs as to the progress of different MELLPI dimensions, enhancement of the Provincial Nutrition Action Plan and integration of other nutrition related PPAs.# NASLabordo