The National Nutrition Council (NNC) in the National Capital Region recognized the Muntinlupa City government’s nutrition program by conferring it with nine awards at the 2021 Gawad Parangal sa Nutrisyon held at The Heritage Hotel Manila in Pasay on Dec. 7.
Muntinlupa Mayor Jaime Fresnedi received the Green Banner Seal of Compliance Award, the highest citation given by the regional agency to local government units, and eight other awards for the city.
Muntinlupa is the sole recipient of the Green Banner Award in Metro Manila this year.
The NNC “is the country's highest policy-making and coordinating body on nutrition.” Among its functions is to “formulate national food and nutrition policies and strategies and serve as the policy, coordinating and advisory body of food, nutrition, and health concerns.”
In addition, the Muntinlupa City government also received the following awards from NNC-NCR:
• 1st Runner Up, 2019 Regional Outstanding City Nutrition Action Officer of the Year (Dr. Magdalena Meana)
• Runner Up, 2019 Regional Outstanding Local Nutrition Program Coordinator of the Year (Maria Ana Ordenes)
• 2019 Regional Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar (Alicia Tanabe)
• Best LGU in Nutrition Governance
• Best LGU in the Implementation of National Dietary Supplementation Program
• Best LGU in the Implementation of Nutrition in Emergencies Program
• Best LGU in the Implementation of Nutrition Promotion for Behavior Change Program
• Best LGU in Documentation of Nutrition Programs
Fresnedi thanked the NNC-NCR for recognizing the local government’s efforts in positioning nutrition programs as a priority at the community level.
The prevalence of underweight children under six years old in Muntinlupa was significantly reduced from 5.1 percent in 2014 to 0.87 percent in 2020. The cases of stunting among children were reduced from 14.7 percent in 2014 to 1.12 percent in 2020.
In 2014, Muntinlupa ranked first in the NCR with the highest prevalence of undernourished children under six years old. The local government urgently responded to address the issue of nutrition through community-based interventions.
“Stunting is the impaired growth and development that children experience from poor nutrition, repeated infection, and inadequate psychosocial stimulation. Children are defined as stunted if their height-for-age is more than two standard deviations below the WHO Child Growth Standards median,” according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The mayor recognized barangay nutrition scholars and other stakeholders for their dedication and commitment in helping families and in delivering the health programs of the local government.