Nutrition Council evaluates implementation of nutrition programs of LGUs
By Hazel F. Gloria
CEBU CITY, June 8 (PIA) -- The National Nutrition Council in the region (NNC-7) through the Regional Nutrition Evaluation Team (RNET) evaluated some local government units in the implementation of their nutrition programs.
NNC-7’s Nutrition Program Coordinator Dr. Parolita Mission said RNET conducts the annual Monitoring and Evaluation of Local Level Plan Implementation (MELLPI) of nutrition programs and selects the Regional Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar.
MELLPI aims to assess the efficiency of local level plan implementation of the nutrition program and the changes in nutritional status of preschool & school children; determine the extent where nutrition is integrated into the local development plan; and advocate for the continuing support for local nutrition program, Mission added.
The RNET also evaluates the performance of the city’s nominee for Regional Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar.
The Green Banner Award is given to the first ranking municipality, city or province that has achieved outstanding performance in implementing its nutrition programs while the Consistent Regional Outstanding Winner in Nutrition (CROWN) award is given to a municipality, city or province that has been adjudged by the interagency regional nutrition evaluation team as outstanding in the region in the implementation of its nutrition plan for three consecutive years.
Meanwhile, Toledo City is vying for the CROWN award after getting the Green Banner as outstanding city in the region for two consecutive years in 2009 and 2010.
The barangays that were randomly selected and visited during the evaluation included Cabitoonan, Calong-calong, Camp 8, and Ilihan.
RNET validated the nutritional status of the preschool children by reweighing 10 percent of the total preschoolchildren in each barangay visited.
The team also checked and looked into the different projects initiated by the City and made a desk review of all the city’s nutrition records.
The interagency Regional Nutrition Evaluation Team was headed by Dr. Parolita Mission, National Program Coordinator, NNC7, with team members, Evangeline Geraldez, Chief Dietitian, H.W. Miller Hospital and Sanitarium and incoming President of the Philippine Association of Nutrition, Lovelyn Garcia, Program Officer of the Nutrition Center of the Philippines, and Dave Bargamento of NNC-7.(PIA-7/HFG/NNC-7)
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DA 7 to establish organic stall in Cebu before year ends
By Fayette C. Riñen
CEBU CITY, June 8 (PIA) -- An organic stall will soon be established in Cebu before the year ends as the Department of Agriculture (DA) pushes for massive public awareness on the importance of organic products.
Cris Lucero, chief of the Agribusiness Division of DA 7, bared that they are still scouting on the appropriate local government unit and an operator to man the organic stall.
“The stall will exclusively display all kinds of organic products and should be placed in a strategic area,” said Lucero.
Lucero said that Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala is calling for absolute support to organic agriculture because this would spare farmers from spending expensive chemical-based fertilizers and pesticides.
Apart from Cebu, organic stalls will also be put up in the provinces of Bohol and Negros Oriental this year, Lucero revealed.
The DA is said to be allotting P1 billion budget for the allocation of organic farming programs.
Romano Laurillo, who is promoting organic rice in different variants, said that although organic products may be a little bit expensive than the traditional products, more savings can be gained in the long run.
“Going into organic farming can save as much as 50 to 60 percent in production costs as farmers will no longer buy expensive chemical-based inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides,” Laurillo explained.
Organic farming can also maximize harvest yield because of the rich soil build-up due to the non-based chemical inputs, “Unlike the use of chemicals which eventually makes the soil poor affecting harvest volume,” he disclosed.
In addition, the health benefits that one gains from consuming organic foods cannot be disputed. “We should never compromise our health,” stressed Laurillo in comparing organic to traditional products.
Though organic foods may be slightly higher in costs, Laurillo said that when the time comes that organic products penetrate the mainstream market, there will be a dip in prices due to the law of supply and demand.
Laurillo expressed gratitude to Sec. Alcala for his total support to organic farming. The organic rice producer and trader representing Bios Dynamics Multi-Purpose Cooperative from South Cotabata, Mindanao, is in Cebu to display his organic rice products in the three-day 2nd Visayas-Mindanao Fruits and Vegetable Market Encounter and Trade Exhibit starting tomorrow until Sunday at SM City Cebu.
One of the 30 exhibitors from South Cotabato, Laurillo said that he hopes to tap the Cebu market for his organic rice, which has just been certified last year allowing them to export the product to Germany.
Bai Dido Sum Ama, Agribusiness Division chief of DA-12, meanwhile said that around 20 percent of the total farmers in South Cotabato are now into organic farming.
The 2nd Visayas-Mindanao Fruits and Vegetable Market Encounter and Trade Exhibit is a collaborative effort of DA 7 and DA 12 as well as the Growth for Equity in Mindanao to provide a venue between farmers and producers to institutional market buyers here. (FCR/PIA 7-Cebu)
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ASEAN organizes drawing contest on its 45th anniversary
By Amorganda A. Saludar
CEBU CITY, June 8 (PIA) -- In line with its 45th anniversary, the Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) initiated a move to raise the awareness of the youths in their early age about ASEAN and encourage them to participate in its celebration on August 8, through a drawing contest.
The ASEAN Secretariat is organizing the “ASEAN Drawing Contest” with the theme “ASEAN: One Community, One Destiny” starting from May to July 2012.
Through this contest, ASEAN will be promoting the artistic talent of the youth and highlight what unites youth around the region.
It is also meant to promote reflection and understanding of youth on ASEAN community building and integration efforts towards the ASEAN Community by 2015 - one community and one destiny; and encourage youth participation in ASEAN activities.
The contest will be categorized into: first category covering youth between the ages 6-12 while the second category covers youth between the ages 13 to 18.
The contest will be held in two rounds in which the first round will be held in the national level, while second round will be conducted regionally, to convey many youth participants coming from all 10 ASEAN countries.
The participants will submit their works to the ASEAN National Secretariat in their country of residence. Each ASEAN National Secretariat will have to select one best drawing from each age category to be submitted to the ASEAN Secretariat for a region-wide contest.
No works will be accepted after the deadline. Only one submission or entry is allowed per participant.
Submissions or entries received will not be returned and will be the property of the ASEAN National Secretariats and the ASEAN Secretariat who will then reserves the right of usage of the drawings.
Drawings submitted must be original and authentic and should be submitted in the format of drawing representing the values of unity and solidarity with a short caption. The caption should not exceed in two lines and should be written at the registration form.
Participants should attach the registration form to the drawing with complete details of the participant – all must be written in block letters.
The drawings should be sent on an A3 sized paper and should be one-sided in full color. Water color, crayons, colored pencils and other coloring materials can be used to fill the colors.
Then the two selected drawings from each ASEAN Member State will be uploaded using social media such as facebook, flicker, and twitter for public viewing.
The two most favorite drawings to be considered as final winners will be selected by the general public using the "Like" button on the ASEAN Secretariat’s Facebook page.
Considered final winner entries from each category will be announced at the end of the contest based on the number of "Likes" received.
Winners from each category will be receiving certificates signed by the Secretary-General of ASEAN, a cash prize of $500 each and ASEAN books and souvenirs. Other participants whose works are selected to represent their respective countries will receive certificates for their participation and prizes equivalent to $100.
For further information on the contest contact the Public Outreach and Civil Society Division, The ASEAN Secretariat, Deborah Tomasowa (Deborah.tomasowa@asean.org) and Nuraini Soulisa (nuraini@asean.org). (AS/PIA-7,CEBU with PR from ASEAN Secretariat)