CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — Regional Nutrition Committee (RNC) approved three resolutions during its first quarterly meeting this year.
These include the adoption of the Central Luzon Regional Plan of Action for Nutrition 2019-2022, adoption of policy statement on nutrition program for government workers, and adoption of policy statement on fad diets.
In addition, National Nutrition Council (NNC) gave updates on the overall nutrition situation in Central Luzon.
“The levels of undernutrition in the region have been continuously high throughout the years, and based on the Updating of the Nutritional Status of Filipino Children and Other Population Groups conducted by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology in 2015, the prevalence of underweight in Central Luzon is at 16.6 percent, stunting at 23.1 percent and wasting at 7.5 percent,” NNC Regional Program Coordinator Ana Maria Rosaldo said.
She added that aside from these, RNC members should also look at the problems of hunger and food insecurity, maternal undernutrition, and micronutrient deficiencies.
Also part of the agenda is the presentation of the new protocol for the monitoring and evaluation of local level plan implementation in the provinces.
Rosaldo also stressed on the First 1,000 Days Law which was recently signed by President Rodrigo Duterte.
RNC 3 serves as the counterpart of the NNC Governing Board at the subnational level.
It is the primary institution that is in-charge of planning and management of the local nutrition programs in order to address malnutrition and hunger.
Members include 30 national government agencies and four nutrition-federated organizations in the region.