Toledo, Bohol town bag nutrition awards

CEBU, Philippines – Toledo City and Tubigon town in Bohol will each be receiving a Green Banner Award from the Regional Nutrition Committee for showing outstanding performance in managing their local nutrition program.

During the Association of Government Information Officers-7 (AGIO) Forum, Emma Gaviola, Centers of Health Development assistant health coordinator, revealed that Toledo City is the 2009 Green Banner Awardee for being an outstanding city while Tubigon is the outstanding municipality.

Tubigon can already qualify for the Consistent Regional Outstanding Winner in Nutrition (CROWN) Award since it has been awarded winner for three consecutive years in its category.

The Green Banner Award is given to a municipality, city or province, which has shown very satisfactory performance in implementing its nutrition programs.

The awards are based on the annual Monitoring and Evaluation of Local Level Plan Implementation and Barangay Nutrition Scholars evaluation. BNS are the barangay-based volunteers tasked to coordinate and deliver basic nutrition services in their respective communities.

Aside from Green Banner and CROWN Awards, there will be awards for outstanding BNS and Nutrition Honor Maintenance Awards.

Among the nutrition programs being implemented in the chosen barangay include the "Pagbasa sa Nutrisyon" where a mother is given books about nutrition to read to her children. Another program gives vegetable seedlings to mothers.

The target clients of such programs are families with pregnant mothers, lactating mothers and families with malnourished children up to 71 months old. (THE FREEMAN)