DUE to its efforts to bring down malnutrition, the National Nutrition Council has named Gingoog City as one of the 2nd Year Consistent Regional Outstanding Winner in Nutrition (CROWN) Maintenance Awardees.
The CROWN Award is given to a local government unit (LGU) which has maintained an outstanding and consistent implementation of its nutrition action plan.
“Our triumph started with “An Egg A Day To Survive” – a collaborative volunteerism in contributing one raw egg every day from all city employees. Thereafter, we shared five pesos each day in increasing budget for nutrition. At present, we are implementing staple food (full meal) to malnourished children," Dr. Agnes Aliñabon Centino, assistant health officer and the program head, said.
According to Gingoog City Mayor Marie Guingona, the malnutrition rate of Gingoog continues to decline from 14.8 percent in 2003 to 3.8 percent in 2018.
As the nutrition council chairperson, Guingona has approved the triple allocation for the city’s nutrition annual budget to augment relevant services to 79 barangays.
“Team Guingona, Team Serbisyo’s humanitarian will is to totally eradicate the disgusting prevalence rate of malnourishment. As one family and one team let us move forward in divesting the unhealthy record of malnutrition," Guingona said.
Another program implemented to combat malnutrition in the city, is the G4 garden or the Go, Grow and Glow Garden in every barangay.
According to Information Officer Edmar Pabia, the G4 garden and the SIGA or the School in the Garden programs, the residents of each barangays will be able to get their nourishment from the vegetables they plant and at the same time they can save money.
"Diha sila magkuha og ilang panggulay (That is where they can get their vegetables). Through organic farming sa ilang (in their) communal garden, pwede na sila magkuha (that's where they can get their food), so meaning economical, they can save," Pabia said.
Pabia also mentioned that the city has started to double their efforts to completely eradicate malnutrition in their area, especially as its vying for the Nutrition Health Award (NHA) in 2019.
“The CNC (City Nutrition Council) has totally received P700,000 plus framed certificates that inspires our stakeholders to continually establish a healthy and malnourished-free city," Guingona said.