2:24 AM
Nutrition Advocate
2011 NUTRITION AWARDS Region7 PH results are shown below with a briefer of each project/program implemented by municipalities, LGUs and the like across region 7 in the Philippines. These were duely recognized by the National Nutrition Council Region 7 recently, in its culminating activities as part of the Nutrition Month 2011:
Good Nutrition Project/Practices in the Region
*Cebu Province – Ensuring Capacity of Nutrition Workers thru Policy Issuance
*Tagbilaran City – “Micronutrient Supplementation in the Workplace”
The Tagbilaran City Government under the leadership of its City Nutrition Committee Chairperson, Mayor Dan N. Lim initiated the “Micronutrient in the Workplace Project” in Bohol Quality Corporation. The project aims to contribute to the overall health and nutritional well-being of women of reproductive age and their children thru increased micronutrient supplementation coverage and contribute to the efficiency and productivity of employees. BQ Mothers were given initial doses of iron with folic acid supplements from CHO and DOH/PHO. The rest of the supplies can be purchased from BQ Pharmacy thru salary deduction scheme. Counseling with prenatal check up with Company Midwife and seminars on micronutrient supplementation were regularly conducted. A2Z, PRISM, IMAP Bohol Chapter, Bohol PHO and DOH-CHD7 also supported the project.
Basing on their initial results, 85.7% of the women employees had improved hemogolbin status to normal level resulting to less tardiness, less absence, more efficient and more productive BQ Workers.
*BAIS City – “Free Ozonized Water for Indigent People”
Due to the rising population leading to congestion and urban pollution, diarrheal cases loom over the City’s economic progress and social development. Saddened by the report that most of those afflicted with diarrhea are the indigent class and burdened with insurmountable expenses of the city to purchase medicines for diarrhea, the local government led by its City Nutrition Committee Chairperson, Mayor Karen F. Villanueva formulated a strategy to address the present health problem. The Php2 Million project called the “Free Ozonized Water for Indigent People of Bais City” provides free distilled drinking water to senior citizens and indigent household as assessed by the City Social Welfare and Development Office with the City Health Office as the managing department.
Study showed that an ozonizer machine processes a safer water by reducing bacterial contamination. The City Health Office also launched a massive education campaign to better implement this project by means of lectures regarding proper hand washing, waste disposal and good hygiene.
After a year of implementing this project, diarrheal cases dramatically dropped from 265 in 2009 to 180 in 2010.
*CEBU CITY – “Accelerated Social Amlioration Program (ASAP) for Nutrition”
The Accelerated Social Amilioration Program (ASAP) for Nutrition of the City of Cebu is a form of taxation that targets patrons of business establishments that are identified as potential contributors to a social malady in one form or another. The project aims to correct this imbalance in priorities while at the same time give a golden opportunity to patrons of said establishments to contribute to the amelioration and alleviation of a deteriorating social condition such as hunger and homelessness besetting the City.
These Patrons include business establishments of night clubs, casinos and other gaming establishments, fighting cockpits, karaoke clubs, massage parlors, beerhouses, motels and drive-ins and discotheques. With a measly sum of (10) Ten pesos, each patron contributes to a trust fund that would go to feeding programs, Halfway Houses, School-based food production and Gardening, skills development and Empowerment and medical and Health Missions.
This program greatly helped in decreasing the malnutrition rate of the City from 5.68% in 2009 to 4.37% in 2010.
*Mandaue City – “Nutrisyon, Sugilanon og Segregasyon”
The Mandaue City Nutrition Committee (CNC) under the able leadership of its Chairperson, Mayor Jonas Cortes continues to find means to improve the nutritional status of the children in the City. Committed in promoting vegetables, fruits and other nutritious food in every part of the menu of the family, a resolution was passed by the Mandaue City Council declaring February of every year as Vegetable Awareness Month. Not stopping there, the CNC Continues all year round in promoting the consumption of vegetables, fruits and other nutritious foods.
In 2010, the Community and Garden Backyard Contest, which was started in 2009, attracted more households and almost all barangays participants. The LGU thru the efforts and almost all barangays participated. The LGU thru the efforts of the City Mayor increased the incentive for this food production activity. The CNC promoted the planting and consumption of camote as snacks in day care centers. Mothers of the day care children are involved in the preparation of these nutritious snacks which include camote patties and camote juice.
Alongside the promotion of fruit, vegetable and camote consumption, garbage segregation and composting was done as well. The organic waste collected from the city was used to make organic soil that could be used as compost for the backyard gardening. On top of this, a wellness awareness caravan was done to disseminate health and nutrition information in a form community assembly done in schools and communities. The caravan includes Pabasa or Story Telling with the children.
All of these efforts contributed to Mandaue City’s malnutrition rate reduction of 3.32% in 2008 to 2.88% in 2009 and 2.7% in 2-010.
Outstanding Province in the Region – Bohol Province – “Valuing Nutrition Structures to sustain Nutrition Improvement”
The Provincial Nutrition Council (PNC) headed by Hon.Edgar M. Chato, the provincial governor continuously strengthened the PNC, as well as the Municipal & Barangay Nutrition Committees to sustain nutrition program implementation for nutrition improvement down to the purok level. In addition to regular nutrition related activities conducted by PNC member agencies, other activities include the Infant Young Child Feeding (80% of the barangays conducted), development of height board for the 47 LGUs, Bahay Kubo – FAITH, Gulayan sa Paaralan, RAPID (Rice Assistance Program for Institutionalized Development), & Organic Agriculture implemented province wide.
The designation of Municipal Nutrition Coordinators as additional nutrition workers in each LGU was institutionalized in 2010. In the same year, the Provincial government provided MNAO honorarium every month. In every barangay there is one Barangay Nutrition Scholar that works hand-in-hand with other barangay-based volunteer workers, the BHW & BALA.
The concerted efforts of the PNC of Bohol brought a reduction in the prevalence of malnutrition from 9.01% in 2008 to 8.12% in 2009 (IRS). The downward trend was sustained in 2010 at 6.73% (CGS).
Outstanding City in the Region – TOLEDO CITY – “Holistic Approach to Eradicate Hunger and Malnutrition”
With the partnership and linkages with the private sector and people’s organization, DepEd, DENR and other government agencies, Toledo City led by its City Nutrition Committee Chair, Mayor Aurelio P. Espinosa has provided a more meaningful and holistic approach in eradicating hunger and malnutrition. The launching of the Kabilin Project is a mayor milestone that solidify the city’s position to improve the status of less-fortunate Toledanos. It promoted food and fiber production, nurtured the fragile environment and at the same time provided livelihood opportunities that enhance dignity and honor of the community.
Indeed, this project contributed to the reduction of the prevalence of malnutrition in Toledo City from 3.42% in 2008 to 2.29% in 2009 and 2.09% in 2010.
Outstanding Municipality in the Region – Jagna Bohol – “Sustainable Programs for Malnutrition Reduction”
Home of the Best “Kalamay”, the municipality of Jagna, Bohol led by its Municipal Nutrition Committee chairperson Mayor Fortunato R. Abrenila is also becoming known for its Nutrimix production. A mixture of grounded rice, mongo, native chocolate, powdered milk and sugar, the mixture is used in their supplementary feeding programs. What used to be a production for their own local consumption, the project is slowly becoming an economic enterprise that it now funds other nutrition activities of the municipality. The Municipal and Barangay Nutrition Gardens also ensured that every family have food to eat in their tables.
These efforts contributed to the decreasing malnutrition rate of the municipality from 8.54% in 2009 (IRS) to 4.35% in 2010 (CGS).
LAPU LAPU CITY – 2nd Year (2010) CROWN Maintenance Nominee
TUBIGON, BOHOL – 1st Year (2010) CROWN Maintenance Nominee
INABANGA, BOHOL – Nutrition Honor Maintenance Award
TALIBON, BOHOL – Nutrition Honor Maintenance Award
CALAPE, BOHOL – Nutrition Honor Maintenance Award
DUMAGUETE CITY – Most Promising City in the Region
ZAMBOANGUITA, NEGROS ORIENTAL – Most Promising Municipality in Negros Oriental
VALENCIA, BOHOL – Most Promising Municipality in Bohol
MS. LIDIA I. GABAISEN – Regional Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar
