CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro (PIA) — The National Nutrition Council (NNC) Mimaropa honors the outstanding local government units (LGUs) and local nutrition focal points (LNFPs) during its annual Regional Nutrition Awarding Ceremony (RNAC) held at Swiss Blulane Hotel, Manila on October 25.
Together with its partner agencies, the NNC conducts the monitoring and evaluation of local level plan implementation to LGUs and LNFPs to assess, monitor and evaluate the overall performance and accomplishments in nutrition program management and promoting nutrition security vis-à-vis nutrition outcomes.
Eight (8) LGUs, namely the municipality of Boac, Santa Cruz, Mogpog, Buenavista, and Torrijos in the province of Marinduque; San Vicente, Palawan and Odiongan, Romblon received the ‘Green Banner Seal of Compliance Awards’ for the provincial level; and the Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro and the province of Marinduque for the regional level.
The Green Banner Seal of Compliance is given by NNC to LGUs with an overall accomplishment rating of at least 85 percent on nutrition program implementation and have rigorously prioritized and implemented quality nutrition interventions.
The awarding ceremony was graced by Keynote Speaker, Asec. Francis Cezar B. Bringas, Assistant Secretary for Field Operations, Department of Education.
The 2023 RNAC was graced by Keynote Speaker, Asec. Francis Cezar B. Bringas, Assistant Secretary for Field Operations, Department of Education. (Photo by Ace Sapit/PIA MIMAROPA)
“Embracing the ‘go, grow and glow’ metaphor in basic education mirrors the quest and pursuit of a balanced diet for learners, symbolizing their need for the energy to engage actively, the nourishment for intellectual and personal growth, and the realization of the ‘mens sana in corpore sano’—a healthy mind and a healthy body,” said Asec. Bringas.
Asec. Bringas also expressed her gratitude to the awardees in their commitment to solve various health and nutrition problems of the Filipino children and youth.
“On behalf of the Department of Education, I applaud all of the efforts of various outstanding LGUs and nutrition champions in their commitment to fulfill their dreams of improving the overall quality of well-being of our learners. We will continue to be one of your most reliable partners in ensuring that our beloved children will have easy and secure access to healthy, safe, and affordable food,” he said.
Apart from the LGUs it also conferred awards to 16 outstanding LNFPs. The outstanding LNFPs whose work contributed to improved nutrition in their areas of assignment are:
• Ruby C. Apiag, Top Performing Provincial Nutrition Action Officer, Province of Marinduque
• Rowena G. Nerona, Regional Outstanding Municipal Nutrition Action Officer, Magsaysay, Occidental Mindoro
• Nigel G. David, 1st Runner Up Outstanding Municipal Nutrition Action Officer, Odiongan, Romblon
• Giselle Pearl A. Olympia, 2nd Runner Up Outstanding Municipal Nutrition Action Officer, Boac, Marinduque
• Mary Pearl P. Rodriguez, 3rd Runner Up Outstanding Municipal Nutrition Action Officer, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan
• Rodrigo A. Cipriano Jr., Finalist, Outstanding Municipal Nutrition Action Officer, San Vicente, Palawan
• Raymond P. Medina, Regional Outstanding District Nutrition Program Coordinator, Province of Marinduque
• Ma. Imee A. Celestino, Regional Outstanding City Nutrition Program Coordinator, City of Calapan, Oriental Mindoro
• Rafaelito A. Delos Santos, 1st Runner Up Outstanding City Nutrition Program Coordinator, City of Puerto Princesa, Palawan
• Cherylan R. Toledo, Regional Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar, Barangay San Agustin, San Jose, Occidental Mindoro
• Jonasita B. Montejo, 1st Runner Up Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar, Barangay Sicsican, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan
• Mary Ann F. Fabro, 2nd Runner Up Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar, Barangay Tulay, Odiongan, Romblon
• Mary Jane B. Valledor, Finalist, Barangay Alimanguan, San Vicente, Palawan
• Cheryl F. Raza, Finalist, Barangay Suha, Torrijos, Marinduque
• Lucia B. Casareno, Finalist, Barangay Sapul, Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro
• Gina M. Cruzat, Finalist, Barangay Sabang, Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro
Raymond P. Medina, Regional Outstanding District Nutrition Program Coordinator from the province of Marinduque is one of the awardees of the recently concluded RNAC 2023. (Photo by Ace Sapit/PIA MIMAROPA)
Meanwhile, Ma. Eileen Bringas-Blanco, Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator, NNC Mimaropa, acknowledges the time and effort of the identified awardees in implementing quality nutrition programs and outstanding nutrition focal points.
“I fervently hope that the recognition conferred today will motivate and foster more support for nutrition. I strongly encourage all local government units in the region to scale-up nutrition efforts and sustain the gains in alleviating your respective nutrition situation. To the outstanding local nutrition workers, may you be a role model to others and be an inspiration to others to likewise be their own nutrition champions,” she said.
The annual conduct of RNAC has been one of the awaited events in the nutrition community, as it serves as an avenue to recognize the hard work and efforts exerted by LGUs and LNFPs in combating malnutrition in Mimaropa. (GATS/PIA MIMAROPA)
