NNC 3 intensifies nutrition advocacy at the grassroots
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO-- The National Nutrition Council (NNC) Central Luzon convened league of punong barangays and members of the barangay nutrition committees (BNCs) to orient them on the preparation of local nutrition action plan ( LNAP) .
During the advocacy meeting cum orientation, NC 3 Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator Ana Maria Rosaldo said the activity primarily aims to deepen the understanding and appreciation of the importance of investing in nutrition and inclusion of nutrition programs in the local development and investment plans among local chief executives and punong barangays.
We recognize that despite our efforts, there are still punong barangays who demand for further explanation of the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) and how to integrate this in their programs. Thus, there is a need to advocate nutrition among the punong barangays, in order to scale up their actions and strategies in attaining the goals of the PPAN,” she said.
That is why, she said through the activity, NNC will guide barangays in the formulation of their respective LNAPs in order to address stunting, wasting, overweight, and obesity, which are all common forms of malnutrition among children in Central Luzon.
For his part, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) 3 Regional Director and Regional Nutrition Committee (RNC) Vice Chair Karl Caesar Rimando stressed the importance of nutrition as the foundation of the country’s development .
“A healthy man has the capacity to be productive. That is why as we are faced with a real challenge during this Covid-19 pandemic, we must focus on strengthening our health and nutrition in order to fight this virus,” he said.
In addition, he cited the crucial role of punong barangays in ensuring that the nutritional needs of their constituents are met.
Rimando also urged them to actively participate in the preparation of the LNAPs.
“As we approach the last year of our Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) implementation, we must celebrate our milestones and the fruits of our efforts. However, as we go on, we must keep in mind to serve as catalysts in order to uplift the quality of life of the members of our respective community,” he urged.
Highlight of the activity is a workshop on crafting LNAPs that will address stunting, wasting, overweight, and obesity, among children in the participants’respective localities.
There were also discussions on the PPAN sa Barangay, Introduction on Nutrition Program Management, and Plan Preparation and Adoption to guide the participants in their outputs. (PIA 3)