The Nutrition Program Committee of South Cotabato conducted a 3-day Benchmarking Activity at Davao Region earlier. Its objective is to learn from the experiences of other LGUs outside South Cotabato who excelled in Nutrition Program Management. Davao Region as a Consistent Regional Outstanding Winner in Nutrition is the best place to learn and adopt their best practices in implementing the Nutrition program. A total of 30 participants from different municipalities actively participated in the educational tour facilitated by the Provincial Nutrition to effectively eradicate malnutrition in the province.
In this purposeful 3-day benchmarking activity, the Nutrition team went to Brgy. San Agustin, Tagum City, Southern Philippines Medical Center, Davao City, and Complementary Food Production Center of Kidapawan City. Moreover, this benchmarking activity is to replicate the strategies in the Establishment & Management of Acute Malnutrition in In-patient Therapeutic Care (ITC) in Southern Philippine Medical Center (SPMC) and Out-patient Therapeutic Care (OTC) of their identified Barangay Health Station (BHS).
One of the major problems recorded by South Cotabato Nutrition Team are the cases of malnutrition children in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs). However, there is a reinforcement to this problem, according to Mr. Rudy S. Jimenea the Provincial Nutrition Action Officer
“Isa sa ginatanaw naton is ang mechanism kung paano ta ma reach ang mga GIDAS, kay based sa EOTP results didto gid ang high incidents of malnutrition leading to SUM and MUM isa gid ine sa mga papag-onon naton nga mga lugar sa Nutrisyon”
This is also in preparation for the 3 entries of the province for National Evaluation namely, Mr. Rudy S. Jimenea for Best Provincial Nutrition Action Officer, Angela B. Frugalidad, RND for Best Provincial Nutrition Coordinator and Miguelita S. Escolano, RND for Best Municipal Nutrition Action Officer of Polomolok.