Bohol readies for Nutri

evaluation for CROWN

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol (PIA)— Aiming for the Consistent Regional Outstanding Winner in Nutrition (CROWN) this year, Bohol Provincial Nutrition Council and its municipal and barangay counterparts brace for the Nutrition Evaluation that is set next month here.

Assistant Provincial Health Officer Dr. Greg Sodusta, who came in for Provincial Health Officer Dr. Fruserma Mary Uy, said he hopes Bohol could still produce the same outstanding accomplishment in nutrition like in the past two years.

Nutrition Action Officer Glenda Grafilo confirmed that in the last two years, Bohol has been awarded the Green Banner in Nutrition.

The Green Banner in Nutrition Award is a prestigious recognition given by the National Nutrition Council (NNC) to Local Government Units (LGUs) for outstanding performance in promoting good nutrition and implementing successful nutrition programs.

Grafilo said the green banner award is the highest recognition for nutrition program implementation for LGUs in the Philippines.

Beginning April 7 until June 6, a team from the Provincial Nutrition Council would be evaluating town and barangay nutrition programs based on the Monitoring and Evaluation of Local Level Plan Implementation (MELLPI) Protocol, a tool used by the NNC to assess and evaluate LGU performance in implementing nutrition programs.

The team would be visiting a town and its two barangays for evaluation, Grafilo shared to the PNC members gathered at the PNC Conference Room inside the Provincial Health Office.

Barangay Nutrition Councils and Municipal Nutrition Councils would be evaluated based on their performance levels in their members’ familiarization of the mission and vision, presence of a comprehensive nutrition development plan and annual investment plan including implemented programs, projects and activities in nutrition.

They would also be evaluated as to their performance especially in formulating and adopting the local nutrition action plan with programs, activities and projects accomplished, and national sectoral policies as well as NNC governing board resolution on the National Policies on Nutrition in Emergencies adopted.

Local nutrition councils also need to adopt and implement Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-Nanay Act, Masustansyang pagkain para sa Batang Pilipino, and keeps a copy of the National Code of Marketing Breastmilk, substitutes, supplements and other related products.

On the other hand, the councils must have implemented the expanded breastfeeding Promotions Act, Act for Salt Iodization Nationwide, Philippine Food Fortification Act, presence of wooden or non-wooden height boards, implements the Operation Timbang Plus, and the 2012 Nutritional guidelines for Filipinos.

LMCs would also be monitored on the presence of a functional Local Nutrition Committee, presence of nutrition office adecisioe committee and personnel.

LNCs would also be evaluated on Nutritional Assessment on the Operation Timbang Plus, Planning, Resource Generation and Mobilization, service delivery, adoption of local system of monitoring and evaluation, capacity building and training for Barangay Nutrition Scholars and Nutrition Committees.

The local evaluation team would need to see the nutrition councils’ nutrition intervention services like training on breastfeeding and complementary feeding, establishment of breastfeeding stations in non-health establishments, enforcement of milk code and the Philippine Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition, the national dietary supplementation program for children in day care centers, for wasted school children.

Then, they would be checked on national nutrition program for behavior change, micronutrient supplementation, mandatory food fortification, nutrition in emergencies program integrated in disaster and risk reduction plans and active stocks of vitamins and nutrition collaterals.

The team would also get into the LNC overweight and obesity management and prevention program, as well as the nutrition-sensitive program which aims to increase income and improve economic access to healthy food, safe drinking water and sanitary toilet facilities, Grafilo said. (PIABohol)