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The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office X has reinforced its partnership with the National Nutrition Council (NNC) Region X to intensify nutrition-sensitive programs in Northern Mindanao.

NNC X Nutrition Program Coordinator Reginaldo Guillen (left) discusses collaboration platforms with 4Ps Regional Program Management Office X’s Mohaimen Macaumbang to enhance nutrition support for 4Ps beneficiaries in Northern Mindanao.

This renewed collaboration aims to scale up efforts and synchronize regional nutrition promotion and program management.

NNC X’s Nutrition Program Coordinator, Reginaldo Guillen, emphasized that the partnership will converge with key DSWD initiatives, including the 4Ps’ First 1000 Days Campaign, Supplementary Feeding Program, Walang Gutom 2027: Philippine Food Stamp Program, Sustainable Livelihood Program, and Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty.

DSWD Innovations Division Chief Potri Jalila Taha proposes program synchronization with National Nutrition Council X during a meeting at DSWD Field Office X to enhance nutrition initiatives.

Guillen highlighted the importance of aligning these programs to address malnutrition more effectively.

DSWD Field Office X Regional Director Ramel F. Jamen welcomed the strengthened collaboration, noting its potential to curb malnutrition cases in Northern Mindanao.

Juvy Tagacanao of DSWD’s Supplementary Feeding Program shares the latest updates on interventions supporting children’s nutrition in development centers and neighborhood playgroups across the region.

Data from the 11th to 13th cycles of the DSWD Field Office X’s Supplementary Feeding Program (SFP), implemented from 2021 to 2023, revealed that stunting remains the leading indicator of malnutrition in the region.

Child Development Workers and Barangay Nutrition Scholars gathered this data through anthropometric assessments before each feeding cycle, including height-for-age and weight-for-age measurements.

Stunting, an irreversible effect of malnutrition, must be addressed during the first 1,000 days of life—from pregnancy through a child’s second birthday.

Mohaimen Macaumbang of the 4Ps Regional Program Management Office X stated that the collaboration between NNC X and DSWD Field Office X will significantly improve nutrition among 4Ps beneficiaries with children aged 0-2.

The DSWD rolled out the First 1000 Days (F1KD) cash grant program in early January. The program provides pregnant 4Ps beneficiaries and households with children aged 0 to 24 months a monthly grant of P350 to cover essential health and nutrition expenses.

Beneficiaries must comply with health and nutrition conditionalities to receive the grant, ensuring that the funds directly contribute to improving maternal and child health.

The strengthened partnership between DSWD Field Office X and NNC X underscores the government’s commitment to addressing malnutrition and enhancing the well-being of vulnerable families in Northern Mindanao.

Reginaldo Guillen, Nutrition Program Coordinator of NNC X, consults with DSWD Field Office X workers on the agency’s health and nutrition interventions for their clients.

By integrating nutrition-sensitive programs and leveraging data-driven strategies, the collaboration aims to create a lasting impact on the region’s health and nutrition landscape.

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