The National Nutrition Council Caraga, in collaboration with the Dinagat Islands Provincial Nutrition Office, Provincial Health Office, and DXPH 98.8 Mystical FM, successfully conducted the first 10 Kumainments Nutrition School-on-the-Air (NSOA) implementation in the Province of Dinagat Islands. The 10 Kumainments NSOA commenced last August 02, 2021 and ended last August 17, 2021 and was recently culminated through a graduation ceremony last August 20, 2021. A total of 31 pioneer NSOA Dinagatnon students successfully graduated after completing the 12 sessions of the NSOA.
10 Kumainments Nutrition School-on-the-Air (NSOA) is a nutrition specific program that was developed by the National Nutrition Council to create public awareness, adopt good nutrition practices and promote behavior change through radio, ensuring that correct and proper information on nutrition is disseminated to all. The module covers the talking points of the Nutritional Guidelines for Filipinos or the more popular 10 Kumainments. The implementation and airing of the 10 Kumainments NSOA is a strategy to target population groups to ensure proper knowledge on good nutrition and good nutrition practices and seeks to engage the local government units to initiate discussion on investing more to nutrition programs.
The NSOA implementation in the Dinagat Islands was anchored by the newly designated Provincial Nutrition Action Officer of Dinagat Islands, Ms. Joanna Jessica A. Yasay, RND and the nutritionist-dietitian deployed in Dinagat Islands under the NDDP of the DOH, ND-II Ms. Kyle Rathzel Bustamante, RND which was aired daily during weekdays from 5 o'clock in the afternoon to 6:30 o'clock in the evening at DXPH 98.9 Mystical FM. Each session, relevant information on nutrition and good nutrition practices based on the Nutritional Guidelines for Filipinos or the 10 Kumainments. After each session, enrolled students will answer a 5-item quiz and the first 10 students who answered/texted 5 correct answers will win 100-pesos load as an incentive. After the 12 sessions, the implementers will tally the total scores and attendance of all enrolled students and will identify the qualified students for graduation.
Last August 20, 2021, as a culminating activity, the NSOA Graduation was held at the Provincial Governor's Lounge with 31 graduates who successfully graduated. Students were from different walks of life and from different age groups. Ms. Nelida Cabarles, 74 years old, was the oldest graduate while Ms. Princes Charlene Cabusao, 12 years old, was the youngest graduate. During the graduation, Dr. Jillian Francise A. Lee, the Provincial Medical Officer II in the province welcomed the participants and thanked all the participants of the NSOA and congratulated all of the graduates. Senior Nutrition Officer II Ms. Leah Vina P. Vargas of NNC Caraga then presented the rationale of the NSOA implementation and gave an inspirational message on behalf of the OIC-Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator of NNC Caraga, Ms. Retsebeth M. Laquihon, RND, MPD, MDM. Ms. Daria Barra, the Executive Assistant of Governor Arlene "Kaka" J. Bag-ao, then gave a meaningful message and felicitations to the graduates on behalf of the good governor. Nutrition Officer I Raphael P. Ochavo then presented the topic "Why Invest on Nutrition" and the summary of the 10 Kumainments. At the graduation proper, graduates received their certificate of completion and IEC materials on 10 Kumainments from NNC Caraga and 10 top honor students received a certificate of recognition and weighing scales from the Provincial Health Office.
Currently, 4 other areas have implemented the 10 Kumainments NSOA, including the 3 Nutriskwela Community Radio Stations in Caraga Region, namely; Radyo Kaagapay in Sibagat, Agusan del Sur, Radyo Kabakhawan in Del Carmen, Surigao del Norte, Radyo Kinaiyahan in Malimono, Surigao del Norte and the provincial radio station of the Province of Agusan del Sur. NNC Caraga aims to mobilize other local government units to implement the 10 Kumainments NSOA by utilizing their local budgets and enable more investment on nutrition information and dissemination.
NNC Caraga commends the Provincial Government of Dinagat Islands, the Provincial Nutrition Office, Provincial Health Office and the Provincial Information Office (DXPH 98.9 Mystical FM) on the successful implementation of 10 Kumainments Nutrition School-on-the-Air and challenges the same on the continued implementation of the radio program and on investing more on nutrition information and education activities.
(NO I RP Ochavo / OIC-NPC RM Laquihon)
