MUNTINLUPA City has been declared the Consistent Regional Outstanding Winner in Nutrition (CROWN) by the National Nutrition Council (NNC) in recognition of the city’s efforts to address child malnutrition over the last three years.
Mayor Ruffy Biazon received the award in behalf of the city, saying the citation marked a first for the local government unit.
“We thank the City Nutrition Committee and to everyone who made this award possible,” Biazon said.
Aside from the CROWN award, Muntinlupa also received the Green Banner Seal of Compliance Award from the NNC for 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2022. It is the highest recognition for local government units that consistently implement effective nutrition programs.
The NNC also recognized Alicia Tanabe of barangay Alabang as the National Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar for 2022.
Tanabe stood out among her peers for initiatives such as the “EaTiNg Program”, a 120-day feeding project for malnourished children and pregnant/lactating mothers; urban gardening to provide food for day care children; enrolling nutritionally at-risk pregnant and lactating mothers in a dietary supplementation program; bench lectures and educational initiatives; and house-to-house visits that teach parents how to make nutritious meals for their children.
Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS) are community health workers tasked with promoting health and nutrition programs in the barangay level. They serve as a vital link between families and the local nutrition councils, identifying families and individuals needing intervention, and acting as a go-between to ensure positive results.