AGSUR READIES IMPLEMENTATION OF TUTOK KAINAN PHASE-3

By Jennifer P. Gaitano

The provincial government of Agusan del Sur is now taking steps towards the implementation of the ‘Tutok Kainan’ Supplementation Program Phase-3 under the National Nutrition Council (NNC) Caraga. Aldrin Atienza, nutrition officer II of NNC-Caraga, shared that there are 11 municipalities in Agusan del Sur which are targeted for the Phase-3 Tutok Kainan implementation, and these are the following: San Luis (one barangay with 60 beneficiaries); Prosperidad (one barangay with 60 beneficiaries); Esperanza (2 barangays with 83 beneficiaries); San Francisco (one barangay with 60 beneficiaries); Bunawan (2 barangays with 83 beneficiaries); La Paz (one barangay with 60 beneficiaries); Talacogon (one barangay with 60 beneficiaries); Veruela (one barangay with 60 beneficiaries); Rosario (one barangay with 60 beneficiaries); Santa Josefa (one barangay with 60 beneficiaries); and Trento (one barangay with 60 beneficiaries). All are allocated with a corresponding budget.

“These LGUs had already undergone the necessary preparations for the Phase-3 implementation. An orientation was conducted to LGU beneficiaries last August 17, 2021 attended by the nutrition action officers (NAOs). They were able to submit the master list of beneficiaries, MOUs/ Resolutions except for Bunawan and Rosario, and completed their inputs on the directory of consignees and implementers,” said Atienza.

As to the roles and responsibilities of the provincial government, Atienza further revealed that the provincial LGU shall convene the

members of the city/ municipal nutrition committees for the orientation and social preparation activities; follow the program guidelines and endorse any deviation to program implementation to NNC-CO/RO deviation; provide augmentation support for the implementation of the program; and the Provincial Nutrition Action Officer (PNAO) to submit monthly reports to the NNC regional office as required by the program guidelines’ monitoring and evaluation provisions.

“For the municipality/ city LGU, part of their roles include the realtime reporting of receipt and distribution of commodities to NNC and the submission of monthly reports to the PNAO as required by the program guidelines’ monitoring and evaluation provisions.

Meanwhile, specifically for the barangays, orientation and social preparation activities of the beneficiaries should be done. They should also identify a focal person who will receive, inspect and maintain inventory of delivered commodities, provide counterpart funding for the implementation of the program specifically to offset additional costs; and assign members of the community who will prepare the hotmeals per cycle menu using fresh produce, among others,” Atienza added.

Also, according to Retsebeth Laquihon, officer-in-charge/ Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator of NNC-Caraga , the Tutok Kainan aims to contribute to the prevention of stunting among children 0-23 months old by improving the quality and quantity of food and nutrient intakes and utilization of related Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) for the first 1,000 days of life services among nutritionally atrisk pregnant women and children 6-23 months old in the target Tutok Kainan program areas.

“This Tutok Kainan Supplementation Program also intends to achieve the following specific objectives: 1) Determine the situation with reference to care of pregnant women and infant and young child feeding; 2) Provide supplemental food to pregnant women for 90 calendar days and complementary food for children 6-23 months for 180 calendar days with priority to those who are nutritionally at-risk or undernourished; 3) Implement, monitor and evaluate an integrated nutrition program that helps ensure delivery of complementary ECCD services in the first 1,000 days pursuant to Republic Act 11148; and 4) Document program experiences and strategies for replication in other local government units of the country,” said Laquihon.

The NNC also announced that the provincial government of Surigao del Sur is also undertaking the necessary guidelines for the Phase-4 implementation of the said program and initial orientation was conducted to the province last September 14, 2021. (NNC/JPG, PIAAgusan del Sur)