Monitoring Cordillera nutrition status

BONTOC, Mountain Province --The National Nutrition Council (NNC) and the Regional Nutrition Evaluation Team (RNET) in the region are conducting   nutrition monitoring and evaluation using new evaluation tool dubbed “monitoring and evaluation of local level plan implementation protocol (MELLPI-Pro).

Nutrition Officer III Bella Basalong of NNC led the 5-member team here for the third leg of the activity.

The previous years, Mt. Province was not evaluated due to absence of nutrition action plan, but with the MELLPI  evaluation may proceed with or without a NAP, Basalong said.

MELLPI Pro, Balisong said,  is a protocol that includes procedures and tools; promotive since it promotes awareness and observance to existing laws, rules and guidelines; progressive as scoring is based on desired progress of local government  units in terms of nutrition program implementation and Professional because it promotes professional and objective review of evidences.

First part of the evaluation is a desk review of accomplishment reports, nutrition action plans, and other pertinent documents. 

The group then presents to members of the nutrition committee their findings and recommendations.

Part of the new tool is an overall visual presentation of the results of evaluation through a spider web diagram wherein it automatically provides the result of the evaluation, she added.  In every corner of the web are five dimensions namely vision and mission, nutrition laws and policies, governance and organizational structure, local nutrition committee management functions and nutrition interventions/services. 

These are the aspects the evaluators are looking at.

Initial result of evaluation showed that in terms of implementation of nutrition programs, Mountain Province did good as shown in the web diagram. 

For the things to improve, the province needs to develop a nutrition in emergencies plan which will be integrated to the local nutrition action plan, and local disaster risk reduction management plan.

The RNET recommended for the committee to come up with a 3-year plan for nutrition and to be updated annually.

              The RNET cited full support of nutrition committee members headed by Provincial Administrator Amador Batay-an for their active involvement and notable nutrition program implementation.

The group also visited the Nutriskwela Community Radyo Kataguan in Bauko.

            The Nutriskwela Community Radyo is an NNC project which involves setting up non-profit, non-partisan community radio stations and training of broadcast personnel in areas with high malnutrition prevalence and which do not have easy access to broadcast media.

An M& E activity was conducted in Apayao last May 7 and Kalinga in May 23. 

For June, the team will proceed to Abra and Benguet. The City of Baguio was already evaluated by the National Evaluation Team.

In conjunction with the MELLPI, the RNET also evaluates the performance of the barangay nutrition scholars. -- JDP/MAWC - PIA CAR