sto[1]. tomas nutrition program

7/29/2019 Sto[1]. Tomas Nutrition Program

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The Nutrition Program in the Municipality of Sto. Tomas, Davao del Norte

Winning th e CROWN

Intro/Background

The municipality of Sto. Tomas was created by virtue of Executive Order No. 352signed on August 14, 1959 and is composed of 19 barangays. Its original name is Tibal-og, once a forested area inhabited mainly by Aetas and now home to a culturally diversemelting pot of various indigenous people as well as Cebuanos, Ilonggos, Boholanos andIlocanos. The word Tibal-og was derived from the body of water transversing thesettlement towards the municipality of Kapalong. It is classified as first class municipality.Its total population is 84,024 and 16,891 households based on BNS survey results for theyear 2002 and a land area of 32,041 hectares. The LGU is substantially dependent onagriculture. The records of the Department of Agriculture revealed that 14,225.74hectares or 44.31% of the total land area is devoted to agricultural and inland fishproduction.

The common illnesses afflicting the residents are either water-borne or air-borne.In 1994, bronchitis ranked topmost (1,303 cases) among the illnesses, followed bypneumonia (1,093), and finally diarrhea (1,002 cases). It was also noticed that theaforementioned diseases were likewise the top three affliction which hit infants in 1994and 1995 (MHO). A yearly Operation Timbang (OPT) was conducted by the Rural HealthUnit and Municipal Nutrition Office through its barangay health and nutrition workers. Theactivity involves the weighing of all children from 0 to 6 years old. Based on the 2002baseline OPT result the total number of preschoolers is 12,641 and out of this, the mildlyunderweight preschoolers is 1,410, while the moderately and severe underweightpreschoolers is 245. On the other hand, total number of school children weighed is14,314. Of this total, 2,360 are mildly underweight while the moderately and severelyunderweight is 127.

The top ten unmet minimum basic needs of the constituents of the municipality of Sto. Tomas based on the SRA-MBN J une 13, 2000 are the following:

No. of Households1. Family income below threshold level 4,9682. No access to potable water 4,5523. Households no compost pit 3,9344. Households no livestock raised 3,4985. Households no backyard garden 3,1536. 3-5 years old not in preschool 2,6837. No access to sanitary toilets 2,0968. Couples not practicing family planning 2,084

9. House not owned but rented or shared 1,77410. No 18 years old and above employed 1,584

The abovementioned health, nutrition and environmental condition affected theoverall socio economic impact of the municipality. Thus, the municipal governmentsvision is:

To have an educated, health-conscious and empowered community enjoying abetter quality of life in a peaceful and sound environment through economic


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The Nutrition Program in theMunicipality of Sto. Tomas, Davao del NorteWinning the CROWN

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productivity, food sufficiency and access to basic services that will complement theprogressive thrust of every community leader towards progress and excellence.

In pursuit of this vision, the Sto. Tomas Municipal Nutrition Committee (MNC)through its municipal nutrition program, committed to improve the nutritional status of itsconstituents through promotion of nutrition in every home anchored on positive Filipinovalues of industry and resourcefulness .

The LGU is Region XIs entry to the national competition for Consistent RegionalOutstanding Winner on Nutrition (CROWN). The CROWN award is given to amunicipality, city or province that has been adjudged by the interagency regional nutritionevaluation team as outstanding in the region in the implementation of its nutrition plan forthree (3) consecutive years.

Descriptio n of the Practice

The Municipal Nutrition Program is being implemented to address themalnutrition problem that afflicts the vulnerable groups particularly preschool, schoolchildren, pregnant women and lactating mothers and other contributory factors that

affects the health and nutrition condition of the community as whole. It focused on theimplementation of the impact programs of the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition towit: Home, School and Community Food Production, Micronutrient Supplementation,Nutrition Education, Food Assistance and Food Fortification.

Generally, the program aims to reduce the prevalence rate of malnutritionamong moderate and severe preschoolers and school children from 1.93% to 0.90% andfrom 3.97% to 1.0% respectively by the end of December 2002.

Specifically, it aims to:

provide food supplements to 245 moderate and severe preschoolers and

127 moderate and severe school children through LGU feeding program; provide micronutrient supplements like vitamin A to 9,000 (12-59 months old)

preschool children and 2,300 nursing mothers; provide iron to 245 moderate and severe preschoolers and 2,000 pregnant

mothers; provide assorted seeds to 1000 households with malnourished children; promotion on the use of iodized salt to all households; increase awareness on health and nutrition to 2,000 parents through Nutrition

Education Classes; update knowledge, acceptance and practice of nutrition implementers

through attendance in trainings, seminars, congress, conventions and regularconsultative conferences;

provide P300,000.00 for the honorarium of 25 Barangay Nutrition Scholars(BNS) at P1,000.00 per month for the reduction of malnourished cases inevery barangay.

The Municipal Nutrition Committee (MNC) started the implementation of theprogram with the following activities, to wit:


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pursued the construction of farm to market roads improved post harvest and public market facilities as well as the municipal nursery

and livestock breeding centers to support agricultural productivity sustained the implementation of the Department of Agricultures Ginintuang

Masaganang Ani Program on grains and crops that resulterd to increased productionof farmers and the level of food supply in the municipality

Implemented agri-based projects for nutritionally-at-risk families such as

establishment of vegetable gardens in homes, schools and communities, distributionof small animals to families with severely and moderately underweight children;adoption of the Plant Now Pay Later scheme, and provision of loans to rice farmers

procured medicine for the indigent members of the community provided water pumps and constructed artesian wells in the depressed barangays of

New Katipunan, La Libertad, Bobongon and San J ose, and implemented the urbandrainage system to ensure a sanitary environment in the community.

Other Development Interventions

Other projects/activities spearheaded by MNC to sustain nutrition improvement:

Pangkalusugan and Nutrition Post in Barangays Pantaron and Casig-ang Supplemental feeding for severely and moderately underweight children in BarangayPoblacion, San J ose and Kinamon through the Share a Food Program sponsored bythe Council of Women

Barya Mo, Kalusugan Ko Project - the project is a resource generation activity of theMNC where containers like cans and boxes were distributed in offices, stores andother accessible sites where the general public voluntarily drop coins and smallamounts of money.

Search for the Modelong Magsasaka Project - a model farmer is chosen from amongthe families in the municipality. A cash prize and trophy is provided. This strategyserved as incentive as well as a venue to promote household food security in themunicipality.

Provided funds for the purchase of food commodities for a two-month feeding of allmoderately and severely underweight preschoolers under the Para sa Mga Bata naKulang sa Timbang

Processes/Responsible Persons/Entities

The following are the processes and people/entities involved in theimplementation of Nutrition P rogram:

The LCE appointed a Nutrition Action Officer (NAO). The NAO is the right handperson of the LCE for matters about nutrition and nutrition programs. The NAOensures that the nutrition committee is functional and sustain its functionality by

initiating the regular conduct of nutrition committee meeting and others forconsultation and dialogues, lead the planning core group within the MNC informulating the Nutrition Action Plan (NAP), ensures that the NAP is integrated in thelocal development plan , coordinate the implementation of nutrition interventions andinitiate periodic inter-agency visits to barangays to assess the progress of implementation and provide technical assistance on managing nutrition programs toBNCs


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organization of Municipal Nutrition Committee (MNC)

Nutrition Action Officer(NAO)

Agri- Health Social DepEd DILG ABC NGOs/Culture Welfare Pres. POs/P S

The MNC is an intersectoral committee chaired by Local Chief Executive (LCE)with members coming from GOs/GAs and POs/PS. Its task is to formulate,implement, coordinate, monitor and evaluate the local plan of action. The NGOs and

POs/PS are active partners of the LGU who provide assistance in theimplementation of the nutrition programs through feeding, in kind and cash.

LCE mandates the MNC the formulation of the local plan of action LCE calls for regular meetings to keep tract of what is going on and presides over

the meetings. Barangay and home visitations were conducted regularly especially to the

nutritionally depressed areas. This is to conduct dialogue with the community andone way of knowing their needs and how else the community and government canwork together.

LGU generate more resources to fund the nutrition programs. If needed, appearbefore the Sanggunian to defend the budget for nutrition programs and projects.

LCE is in constant touch with his NAO to know what is going on so he can exercisehis executive power and responsibility.

LCE is on touch base with NGOs and convince them to match the resources theLGU is investing in nutrition program

Helps and Hindrances

The following are the factors that contributed to the success of nutrition programimplementation in municipality:

Strong Local Government Unit support led by its dynamic chief executive, MayorDario G. Romano in terms of financial and manpower support

Collaborative efforts among allied groups such as the non-governmentalorganizations, community and private sectors

Policy makers who feel that malnutrition can be solved faster if the approach isunified, well-coordinated and considered as an integral part of the development plan

The success of the implementation can not be obtained without experiencing thefollowing obstacles that are contributory in achieving the goal of program:

LCE


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Absence of Local Nutrition Action Plan Inadequate budget

Requirements tow ards Implementing the Practice

The requirements for nutrition program implementation is varied.

1. Organization of Municipal Nutrition Committee (MNC) composed of key personalitiesand relevant sectors spearheaded by the Municipal Mayor as Chairman. The MNCfacilitates the planning and management of the Local Nutrition Plan and requiresstrong leadership from the mayor, commitment of the members to coordinate thelocal plan for nutrition and a Nutrition Action Officer who can effectively coordinatethe plan. The committee should plan and implement activities that would sustaincoordination, cooperation and teamwork among its members. To sustain thefunctionality of the Municipal Nutrition Committee, the mayor as the Chairman of thecommittee should provide the necessary leadership in the management of nutritionprogram. The Municipal Nutrition Action Officer must give his/her full commitmentand possess certain qualification and personal attributes to effectively coordinate theimplementation of the Municipal Nutrition Action P lan and gain the support andcooperation of the members of the Municipal Nutrition Committee.

2. Budgetary Allocation. In order for the nutrition program to be functional, effectiveand sustainable the municipal government through the approval of the Sangguniang Bayan allotted a budget of P647,387.00 for CY 2000, P888,448.00 for CY 2001,P2,174,649.56.00 for CY 2002 and P2,213,757.24 for CY 2003. The NGOs/POs/PSon the other hand, budgeted P15,000.00 for CY 2000, P50,000.00 for CY 2001,P130,000.00 for CY 2002 and P8,535,000.00 for the program in CY 2003. For thegovernment share, the total percent of funds actually expended for CY 2002 is99.81% or P2,170,640.00, this can be a good indicator that the program is workingwell.

Figure 1. LGU Budgetary Support for Nutrition Program

2,213,757.24

647,387 888,448

2,174,647.56

2000 20012002

2003


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Figure 2. NGOs/POs/PS Budgetary Support for Nutrition Program

8,535,000

130,000 50,000

15,000 0

2,000,000

4,000,000

6,000,000

8,000,000

10,000,000

CY 2000 CY 2001CY 2002 CY 2003

3. The passage of ordinances and resolutions by the policy makers helped strengthenthe program. A total of 6 Resolutions and 1 Ordinance was passed in support tonutrition program particularly resolutions for the adoption of the Barangay NutritionAction Plan (BNAP); promote rehabilitation of moderate and severe malnourished forthe implementation of Share Program, increase barangay budget for BNS andordinance in support to ASIN Law (RA 8172) on the usage and selling of iodized salt.

4. Conduct of training workshop prior to nutrition program implementation. It involvesdefining tasks and functions of various agency workers, providing local teams withskills in implementing their tasks and functions, and drawing up common guidelinesfor coordinated action. The mayor and the Sangguniang Bayan and the MunicipalNutrition Committee members should be oriented on the expansion of projects inanother barangay. Parents of the beneficiaries of the feeding program need to beoriented about the specific activities of the project to win their support and eliminatetoo much expectations.

Conducted Nutrition Education among mothers of moderatemalnourished children during supplementary feeding


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5. Monitoring and Evaluation. This is to assess the impact of the implementation of thenutrition program at the local level.

6. Documentation of all the experiences over the years is also important for thedevelopment of future plans.

Benefits/Impact

The trend over the years show a very significant reduction in malnutrition amongthe Preschoolers and School Children as shown in figures 3 and 4.

Figure 3. Comparative Nutritional Status of Moderate and Severe (MOSE)Malnourished Preschoolers for four consecutive years

5 0 0 0

123 103 104

66

0

50

100

150

2000 2001 2002 2003MODERATE

SEVERE

Figure 4. Comparative Nutritional Status of Moderate and Severe (MOSE)Malnourished School Children for four consecutive years

128

3

75

1

46

0

42

0

0

50

100

150

CY 2000 CY 2001 CY 2002 CY 2003MODERATESEVERE


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Improved delivery of services wherein almost 100% of the households and targetbeneficiaries were catered. Nutrition is already institutionalized, each sector hasalready defined package of services as their way of support to the program.Among the basic services given were provision of seeds and seedlings,distribution of poultry, livestock and fingerlings, vitamin A, iron and iodinesupplementation and a lot more.

Improved nutrition office in the municipal hall as well as in barangays, where theoffices of the Municipal Nutrition Action Officer (MNAO) and BarangayNutrition Scholar (BNS) are located. It manifested the municipal governmentsupport to the nutrition program. A consistent Green Banner Awardee for threeconsecutive years, the municipality was also awarded the Gawad Pangulo saKapaligiran Award, second place category in 2001 and 2002, and the GawadSaka Award: National Outstanding Farmer.

Meeting t he Challenges from Lesson s Gained

Much more can be done to further improve the nutritional status of the people of

Sto. Tomas. The MNC believes that with unified action for nutrition and the untiringsupport of its dynamic leadership, the vision of a better quality of life through nutritionwill soon be achieved.

The formulation of appropriate, effective and efficient measures for food andnutrition improvement must therefore require knowledge of the nature, scope and extentof the problem regarding their underlying causes, the resources and the social, politicaland economic or financial circumstances of the locality. Thus, community-basednutrition programming and planning has long been considered a vital and effectivecomponent in the fight against malnutrition.

sto[1]. tomas nutrition program

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