CV Nutrition Awardees on Passion and Programs
Underscoring notable nutritional success in Central Visayas (CV), regional awardees from the 2018 Grand Nutrition Awards talked programs and stories behind their hard-earned winnings in a luncheon press conference and media presentation on August 2 at Casino Español de Cebu, Cebu City.
The event was organized by the Department of Health’s (DOH) National Nutrition Council 7 (NNC 7) through the Regional Nutrition Committee (RNC) and with the Central Association of Nutrition Action Officers, Inc. (CeVANAO, Inc.), this in order to learn from and commend local government units (LGUs) and frontline nutrition workers for outstanding performances within their field.
The press conference highlighted the three Green Banner awardees, namely Outstanding Municipality in the Region Carmen, Bohol; Outstanding City in the Region, Lapu-Lapu City; and 2nd Year Consistent Regional Outstanding Winner in Nutrition (CROWN) Maintenance awardee Pamplona, Negros Oriental. The event also featured Regional Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar (BNS) Ms. Sarah C. Fuentes and Outstanding Barangay in the Region Brgy. Pajac, Lapu-Lapu City.
Fronting the media presentation were eight key individuals: Lapu-Lapu City Nutrition Action Officer (NAO) Dr. Agnes Cecile B. Realiza; Central Visayas RNC-Technical Working Group Chair Ms. Melinda D. Cañares; NNC 7 Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator Dr. Parolita A. Mission, DPA, RN; Nueva Vizcaya Province Prov’l Nutrition Comm. Honorary Chair Hon. Ruth R. Padilla; RNC Chair Dir. Jaime S. Bernadas, MGM, CESO III; Carmen, Bohol Mayor and Municipal Nutrition Committee Chair Hon. Ricardo Francisco A. Toribio; Hon. Jimmy A. Ybañez; and Regional Outstanding BNS Fuentes.
Bernadas opened that, “Nutrition is basically a human right.” To this, other panelists implicitly and explicitly agreed and set off to enumerate and discuss vital nutrition projects and programs behind their triumphant ventures into making nutritionally stable places in their vicinities.
Lapu-Lapu City for instance allocated around P2M for nutrition programs, and the year prior P1.5M. Relevant persons and organizations from the government, private sector, academe, et cetera also convene monthly to talk nutrition issues. Concrete actions were then made to prevent stunting and provide micro-nutrients to babies and mothers.
According to Fuentes who is also from Brgy. Pajac, Lapu-Lapu City, they especially catered to women and children and gave interventions to the malnourished. Weekly supplemental feeding and salabat-making programs among others were also implemented. This resulted in a significant change in malnutrition rate for children in the city, which fell from 1.1 to 0.8. In the entire city, it was also reported that only 4 out of 2300 kids below five years old are underweight.
Meanwhile, Toribio stressed that their being recipient of the award was the “result of hard work, dedication, proper collaboration…” Fuentes also pointed out that the job will always be ugly if you are not passionate about it.
The media presentation and press conference happened concurrently with the 14th Regional Nutrition Action Officers’ (NAO) Congress which involved a general assembly for organizational concerns and technical sessions on communication skills, social media for nutrition advocacy, and positivity in the workplace.
The day closed with an awarding ceremony for the 2018 Grand Nutrition Awards, most of which were discussed in the press conference earlier.
Other awards conferred include the Good Nutrition Practice and Project Awards and the title of Most Promising Barangays.
The RNC also awarded winners of the NNC 7 My Garden My Tour which was participated by Cebuano citizens, as well as social media awards particularly, Best Municipal Nutrition Facebook Page, Best City Nutrition Facebook Page, and Best Provincial Nutrition Facebook Page.
