CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga (PIA) — The National Nutrition Council (NNC) feted outstanding nutrition committees and focal points in Central Luzon during the 2025 Gitnang Luzon Gawad Parangal sa Nutrisyon.
The annual event recognizes the exemplary efforts of local government units (LGUs) in managing and implementing their local nutrition programs, addressing malnutrition, and advancing innovative approaches to improve nutrition outcomes.
NNC Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator Ana Maria Rosaldo said the annual Regional Nutrition Awarding Ceremony serves as the peak or climax of the Monitoring and Evaluation of Local Level Plan Implementation (MELLPI) in terms of nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive programs.
“Maraming salamat sa inyong suporta at naitawid nating lahat ang anim na buwan ng pagtatasa mula May hanggang October. Tayo ang NNC, tayo ang bumubuo sa mga kutsara [sa logo] ng NNC. Asahan ninyo na taun-taon naman ay nag-iimprove,” she said, emphasizing continued improvement in nutrition management and evaluation.
The awardees include Pandi, Bulacan as the 2024 Regional Consistent Regional Outstanding Winner in Nutrition (CROWN) awardee, with the municipalities of Quezon, Nueva Ecija and La Paz, Tarlac as CROWN contenders.
In addition, Guiguinto, Bulacan was cited as 2nd year CROWN Maintenance awardee, and Baliwag City for its 1st year CROWN Maintenance award.
The CROWN award is given to LGUs that have excelled in nutrition program management for three consecutive years, whose rating is at least 90 percent on the third year. On the other hand, 1st and 2nd year Maintenance Awards recognize LGUs maintaining their excellence after the initial CROWN award.
Nutrition Honor Award (NHA) retainers were also recognized including Plaridel, Pulilan, and Sta. Maria in Bulacan; Talavera and Cabanatuan City in Nueva Ecija; and Mabalacat City in Pampanga.
The NHA is the highest distinction in local nutrition performance, granted to second year CROWN Maintenance awardees that achieve at least a 95 percent rating through consistent high performance in nutrition program implementation validated by the National Evaluation Team.
Also, four LGUs were given the Green Banner Seal of Compliance including the provincial governments of Bataan and Bulacan, San Jose City in Nueva Ecija, and City of San Fernando in Pampanga for attaining an overall rating of at least 85 percent rating in nutrition program implementation, with no dimension below 60 percent, based on the MELLPI Pro criteria.
Outstanding local nutrition focal points were also cited including Rowena Tiongson of Bulacan Province as the 2024 Regional Outstanding Provincial Nutrition Action Officer; Alson Jun Domingo of Bataan Province as the Regional Outstanding District Nutrition Program Coordinator; Brenda Balaga of Baliwag City as the Regional Outstanding City Nutrition Action Officer; and Maxine Marie Lugtu of Barangay Mambog, Hermosa, Bataan as the Regional Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar.
They were assessed in seven management dimensions including coordination, advocacy, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, resource generation, documentation and record-keeping, and capacity-building, which highlights their efficiency, leadership, and impact in delivering local nutrition services. (CLJD/MJSC, PIA Region 3-Pampanga)
