NNC starts training Samar nutrition workers for hunger mitigation

By Ninfa B Quirante

Catbalogan Samar (August 19) — The National Nutrition Council (NNC) through Ms Carina Santiago, Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator will start training Samar nutrition workers on August 21-28, 2009.

In a letter sent to Mayor Alfredo Serrano of Sta Margarita, NNC said the training on “Promoting Good Nutrition” is one of the major activities under the Accelerated Hunger Mitigation Program (AHMP) of Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

The training, aims to equip the participants with knowledge and skills in promoting good nutrition particularly with infants and young children.

The Infant and Young Child Feeding Counselling is anchored on exclusive breastfeeding, use of Pabasa sa Nutrisyon, promotion of consumption of eggs and vegetables.

The training will also tackle instructions on the Nutritional Guidelines for Filipinos.

Some 33 participants are expected from the municipalities of Almagro, Tagapul-an, San Jorge, Paranas, San Jose de Buan, Matugiano, San Sebastian, Daram, Zumarraga, Sta Margarita and Calbayog City.

The same trainees will conduct the training on promoting good nutrition in the different barangays in the municipalities mentioned.

Samar tops the number of nutritionally depressed municipalities as gleaned from the annual Operation Timbang conducted by the rural health units.

Samar’s municipalities are also recipients of food productivity programs including livestock, crops and marine regeneration projects.

Programs like Barangay Food Terminal, Bagsakan Centers, Food for School Program and others have been channelled to Samar to solve malnutrition.

Presently, 24 out of 25 Samar municipalities, and the city of Calbayog will avail of PGMA’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) a conditional cash transfer where families will be given cash if thy have regular medical care and send their school age children to school. (PIA-Samar)