TACLOBAN CITY - After the onslaught of Typhoon Agaton, Baybay City activated its Nutrition Cluster. The Nutrition Cluster aims to ensure that the nutritional status of affected population especially the most vulnerable groups, e.g. infants, children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers, older persons, persons with disabilities, and people with debilitating conditions, will not worsen or deteriorate due to the impact of emergency and disaster through the linking with other cluster groups and establishing capacities at all levels.

The Nutrition Cluster supports and does not replace existing national capacities. It contributes to coordination mechanisms on the ground. With this, various local governments throughout the country should establish nutrition cluster at the regional, provincial, municipal, city and barangay levels (NDRRMC, 2021).

The Baybay City Nutrition Cluster operationalizes the Nutrition in Emergencies (NiE) program under the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) 2017-2022. Part of this operationalization is nutrition assessment particularly of the vulnerable population like pregnant and lactating women and children below 5 years old.

City Nutrition Program Coordinator (CNPC) Marjorie Balberino and City Nutrition Action Officer (CNAO) Kristine Shayne Castos led the MUAC Assessment with the help of health staff and BNSs of the identified barangays.

To assess the nutritional status of the vulnerable groups, Mid-upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) is recommended for use with children between 6-59 months old to identify number of moderately (MAM), severely (SAM) acute malnutrition and pregnant women for energy deficiency.

Many families remain in the Evacuation Centers while waiting for shelter assistance. Such evacuation center, mother- baby friendly spaces has been established.

The intense and torrential rains made sitios and barangays to be buried including individuals and households. The LGU and government agencies continued its search and retrieval operation for missing individuals and those buried alive. Meanwhile, relief distribution and other disaster and emergency services are ongoing.#RNPC-CPD