With the National Nutrition Council (NNC) as the lead agency, being the secretariat of the nutrition Governing Board (GB), the MELLPI is conducted to assess the nutrition programs of the Local Government Units (LGUs) using the MELLPI Pro tools, with the six (6) dimensions as evaluation criteria.

In Cebu City, evaluated barangays were Guadalupe, Mabolo, and Pamutan., as well as the city’s nutrition committee (CNC).

Of these barangays, Barangay Pamutan have shown good nutrition initiated programs, commending them for implementing nutrition sensitive projects like the tilapia farming, household and community garden establishments, and other innovative programs that will help improve nutrition.

Scrutinizing the documents is one of the means of verification (MOV) in the dimension scoring, and during the focus group discussion and feedbacking session, Jolina Daño of DA7’s RNET member, emphasized the importance of integrating urban gardening into the nutrition activities

She encouraged Barangays Guadalupe and Mabolo to adapt and strengthen the establishment of urban gardening in their schools (gulayan sa paaralan) and communities (communal gardens per sitio/purok) to further enhance nutrition sensitive efforts.

Through the MELLPI Pro, the promotion of urban agriculture aligns with broader efforts to enhance food security and ensure sustainable nutrition practices within communities, catering to individuals of all age groups.

Mary Bliss Joy Iguana , the Officer-in-Charge of the Cebu Nutrition Office, during the feedbacking, highlighted the city’s dedication to strengthening nutrition programs and services. “We have numerous programs in place to improve nutrition, and we will embrace opportunities for improvement based on evaluation results,” she stated.

Ronald Diola, Cebu City Nutrition Council Chairperson, stressed that addressing malnutrition requires continuous effort. “Eradicating malnutrition is a continuous process; it doesn’t happen overnight. No matter how progressive our city is, if we have malnourished children, we fail in caring for them,” he said.

In her closing message, Emma Gaviola, RNET member, emphasized the need for strengthened coordination. She called for training of Barangay Nutrition Action Officers (BNAOs) and council members to ensure better implementation of nutrition initiatives.

Cebu City was recognized as a Green Banner Awardee last year, reflecting its commitment to advancing nutrition and health programs.