PALO, Leyte - The City of Borongan was chosen by the newly organized Regional Nutrition Shepherding Team (RNST) of the National Nutrition Council 8 as the target LGU for mentoring and coaching on nutrition program implementation.

The National Nutrition Council Region 8 conducted re-orientation on Nutrition Shepherding (NS) among its identified members and trimmed down membership to those who attended the third round of organizational meeting.

The NNC conducted series of NS sessions in the City of Borongan on December 21,22 and 23. The series of sessions started out with Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition 2023-2028, Regional/Provincial/City nutrition situation, general concepts of NS, Local Nutrition Functionality Assessment, Monitoring and Evaluation of Local Level Plan Implementation (MELLPI) Pro, and NS in the Context of MELLPI Pro.

The series of NS sessions was attended by members of the city nutrition committee including SP Committee on Health Katrina Anacta.

In the December 27, 2022 session, Hon. Katrina Anacta told the CNC including NNC staff, DMO Gerico Sabalza that the city legislators will support the project through policy support. However, she told the same that RNPC hold dialogue meeting with City Mayor Jose Ivan Dayan Agda to galvanize the NS project in the city.

True enough and upon the initiative of City Nutrition Action Office Jassie Acla Alegre, the two personalities meet on January 19, 2023.

This is the first NS session for the year. The city mayor was so enthusiastic during the meeting particularly during the regional, provincial and city nutrition situation presentation. He realized that there is much needed effort to really scale up nutrition intervention both nutrition specific and sensitive intervention.

He also called the attention of City Local Government Operations Officer (CLGOO) present to help on the enabling mechanism of all the barangays of the city particularly on BNC organization and functionality and Barangay Nutrition Action Plan formulation including budgeting.

The mayor also called the attention of the agriculture and other sectors to really focus on their program targeting. He told sectors to focus their interventions on barangays with high incidence of stunting, wasting and underweight.

He instructed the CNAO to have a master list of household heads with malnourished children. He further instructed the CNAO to empower mothers to attend nutrition education classes.

Meanwhile, the RNPC vowed to support the city through technical assistance and LGU mobilization effort.

Towards the end of the meeting the city mayor expressed his full support to the NS project. As an initial step he instructed the CNAO to design an activity related to planning and budgeting among barangays.

RNPC Dr. Dotollo told the mayor and the CNC that members of the BNAP core planning team would include Punong Barangay, Kagawad on Health, Barangay Nutrition Scholar, Barangay Treasurer/Secretary and SK Chairperson.

The mayor suggested that the planning and budgeting workshop will be held in Cebu for 3 days exclusive of travel time and instructed the RNPC and CLGOO to be the main resource speakers including the CNAO and City Budget Officer. Said workshop will be help as early as possible in the 3rd week of February. #RNPC-CPD