Tacloban hosts joint Provincial and City Nutrition action officers meeting

By CATHERINE JANZ R. SICOY (KIMRO)
October 6, 2006

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte – City Nutrition Office (CNO) hosted the third quarterly meeting of the Regional Technical Working Group (RTWG) on Nutrition and Provincial and City Nutrition Action Officers (P/CNAOs) held on October 4, 2006 at the Executive Lounge, City Hall.

National Nutrition Council (NNC) Regional Coordinator, Ms. Carina Santiago said that the conference would talk about the different concerns on nutrition, including burning issues relative to the implementation of Local Nutrition Programs as well as updates about nutrition.

With regards to the commitment of the Philippines to reduce malnutrition among children by half in 2015, certain interventions and measures have been implemented both in the national and local level to alleviate the widespread condition of malnutrition in the country.

In the Philippines, 49 (63.6%) provinces are food insecure or do not have sufficient access to safe and nutritious food, which meet the dietary needs and preferences for an active and healthy life. This means that 6 in every 10 provinces in the country are food insecure and vulnerable and 7 out of 10 households in the country are food insecure based on the National Nutrition Survey (FNRI, 2003).

Similarly, results of the self-rated hunger surveys conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) reflect an increasing incidence of hunger, which is a common cause of malnutrition in the country. It was revealed that 16.9% Filipino families experience hunger, with nothing to eat, at least once in the previous three (3) months, the highest in years. The incidence of hunger (families who experience hunger often/always in the last three months) rose from 3.9% in 2005 to 4.2% in the first quarter of 2006, affecting 700, 000 estimated families.

Clearly, hunger is one of the most pervasive concerns of our country today. What’s more, it’s also one of the most common reasons of malnutrition among children.

The national Nutrition Council together with the different Provincial, Municipal and City Nutrition Action Officers continue their relentless drive to battle and resolve malnutrition among children in their respective areas.

The City Nutrition has continually supported feeding Programs for malnourished kids in different depressed areas in the city. Not only here but also all over the region, this kind of programs has been going on with the help and assistance of some private and civic organizations.

City Nutrition Officer, Ms. Malou Tabao believes that poverty is still the primary cause of malnutrition particularly in children; all the more necessary for effort to be concentrated in programs and projects towards its reduction.

On his part, Vice-Chair of the RTWG, Mr. Tito Aure is happy and pleased that our community is now more responsive on the various local nutrition programs of the government.

Results of the Regional Evaluation for Outstanding Municipality, Province, and City in the region were presented.

Acknowledged winners were Limasawa and Southern Leyte as Outstanding Municipality and Province and Maasin City as Outstanding City in the region.

Notably, among nine (9) candidates, Ma. Leni Ramos of Brgy. 84 (San Jose) Tacloban City earned the Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar (BNS) in the region with a score of 91.7%.

The selection of winners was based on the efficiency and effectiveness in the implementation of the nutrition program in the different areas, as a result of monitoring and evaluation regionwide.

Ms. Emily Grande of Department of Health, made updates of the upcoming Garantisadong Pambata 2006 this October 16-20 with the theme: “4-1 Kalusugan sa Inyong Health Center”.

A field visit to Brgy. 84 (San Jose) and Brgy. 74 (Nula-Tula) followed right after the meeting. “This is to showcase and highlight best practices on Nutrition Program implementation on the barangay level”, Ms. Santiago said.