Monday, November 03, 2008 Nutrition Communication Network organized in region By Eloisa P. Galang
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- With food security becoming a global problem, the government has stepped up efforts to educate people on the importance of proper nutrition towards achieving good health despite possible scarcity of resources.
In line with these efforts, the Food Nutrition and Research Institute (FNRI) under the Department of Science and Technology (Dost) recently conducted an orientation cum organizational meeting of the Nutrition Communication Network (Nutricomnet) in Central Luzon.
According to Zenaida Narciso, officer-in-charge of the FNRI Office of the Director General, the Nutricomnet is a network of regional and provincial media persons and information officers (IOs) of government agencies involved in food and nutrition and science and technology promotion.
Narciso said the network will play a vital role in educating various groups of people by imparting food and nutrition and science and technology information.
The inter-agency participants in the meeting unanimously chose the DOST led by Regional Director Conrado Oliveros as chair of the Nutricomnet. He shall be assisted by Dost Region's information officer Jesili Reyes.
The co-chairperson is the National Nutrition Council's (NNC) Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator Ma. Vicenta Magpantay.
The member agencies include the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), the seven provincial governments of Central Luzon, the Provincial Science and Technology Directors (PSTDs) of the seven provinces, and representatives from the various colleges and universities in the region such as Tarlac College of Agriculture (TCA), Bulacan State University (BSU), Tarlac State University (TSU), Pampanga Agricultural College (PAC), and the Association of Government Information Officers in Central Luzon (Agio-CL).
In his welcome remarks, Oliveros emphasized the need for team effort to see substantial accomplishments in the goal of moving forward nutritionally and economically.
Narciso, who is also the chief of FNRI Research Utilization and Management Division, said that it is FNRI's vision to achieve optimum nutrition for Filipinos, socially and economically.
Its mission, he added, is to define the nutritional status of the citizenry; develop recommendations for the improvement of the nutritional status; and disseminate research findings and recommendations.
It is in this regard, Narciso stated, that the Nutricomnet can help to a great extent.
Among the benefits she cited in having a functional network are having a regular supply of information, education and communication (IEC) materials; visibility, mileage, public awareness and knowledge; and improved nutritional status and socio-economic well-being.
The Nutricomnet is scheduled to conduct its first meeting on November 27.
