CEBU CITY – The Municipality of Garcia-Hernandez, Bohol is this year’s Consistent Regional GREEN BANNER SEAL OF COMPLIANCE (3RD YEAR). Garcia-Hernandez Mayor, Jess Baja received the award during the Central Visayas Regional Nutrition Committee (RNC) awarding ceremony held on August 9 at the Golden Peak Hotel, Cebu City where the National Nutrition Council (NNC7) recognized the best and exemplary nutrition performers in Central Visayas.
Banking on good governance and strong external support from organized civil society sectors, the Municipality of Garcia Hernandez in the Province of Bohol is able to maintain its Green Banner Award for the 3rd year in a row. This great feat is made possible with the leadership and coordination of their local nutrition committee and the commitment of their fleet of nutrition workers.
Garcia Hernandez’s best practice has always been their ability to mobilize external resources to fund the nutrition program. This has greatly augmented the pressure on local nutrition committees’ limited resources and has given the community a sense of responsibility and involvement. With such belief, the communities are becoming more conscious of key nutrition messages such as the 10 Kumainments and have taken these messages into action. Coupled with policies and budgetary allocation from the local government unit, the Municipality of Garcia Hernandez is able to build an environment that is conducive for the implementation of the nutrition program.
Its nutrition plans and programs are already integrated in local development plans. This enables sustainability especially on raising nutrition awareness where the MNC hopes to make nutrition a byword among households and improve their health seeking behaviors.
All of Garcia Hernandez’s efforts reduced all types malnutrition among children below five years of age to a level below public health significance. Their continued efforts have built stronger foundations for healthy children to grow into healthy adults. The only concern they have of late is the growing influence of multi-media on the food choices of the younger generation which has lead the Garcia Hernandez MNC to be challenged and come up with a project to make healthy food choices available and affordable.
On the other hand, 9 local governments were bestowed with the Green Banner seal this year and they are Bohol Province and Negros Oriental Province; Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, Tagbilaran City and Tanjay City; Siquijor, and San Juan, Siquijor.
We thank the leadership of Dr. Eric Acenas, Municipal Health Officer, Municipal Health Office Employees, Ms. Josephine Bag-o, Municipal Nutrition Coordinator, Barangay Healthcare Workers, Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS), All Barangay Officials and to the Municipal Nutrition Council for making this achievement possible. (PR)
