Launched on September 14, the Comprehensive Nutrition Ordinance aims to promote health and nutrition and adequately fund efforts to improve child and maternal nutritional health in the city. Under nutrition remains the second most prevalent public health concern in Northern Mindanao over the past three years.
During the launch, the City Government members and constituents, witnessed the public reading of the ordinance together with the signing of commitment of implementers.
Authored by Councilor Jesselie Borbon, Chairperson of the Committee on Health, the Comprehensive Nutrition Ordinance was enacted on July 9, following a series of public hearings with the National Nutrition Council Region 10 and citizen representatives.
The ordinance mandates all local government agencies to ensure caregivers to give a suitable environment for children to meet their required daily nutrition. The ordinance also recognizes that “multi-stakeholder participation, evidence-based interventions, and good governance are key components to improve the city’s nutrition.”
The successful passage of the nutrition ordinance was a result of the efforts of concerned citizens to use dialogue as an approach to social accountability.
Before the idea of even pushing for the nutrition ordinance, active advocates among mothers and community leaders came together to learn some simple tools on how to engage their city leaders into dialogue.
Trained by child-focused organization World Vision, which introduced the Citizen’s Voice and Action (CVA) approach, community representatives are able to collaboratively work with the local government and service providers, and to gather citizens’ feedback, identify gaps and create practical action steps to meet desired improvements in the community.
“Utilizing CVA facilitates communities to be involved in decision-making particularly on issues that impact their daily lives such as their right to proper nutrition,” said Kathrine Yee, World Vision advocacy manager.
Soon after the CVA team in Oroquieta also learned the ropes in community education, assessments of current child and maternal services among service users and providers such as mothers, of children and youth, barangay health workers, and engaging city health office and nutrition committee representatives.
The CVA team led a citizen-driven advocacy campaign that lasted over a year to lobby for the nutrition ordinance highlighting recommendations arising from the service evaluation made by communities.
Yee said: “The passage of the nutrition ordinance in Oroquieta City shows how empowered citizenship can propel significant changes in our communities. With half of the battle won, the CVA team will continue to advocate for effective implementation of the ordinance including conducting community awareness drive and monitoring activities.” (Mindanao Examiner)
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