LIBAGON, Southern Leyte – The municipality of Libagon in Southern Leyte is a recipient of the Local Nutrition in Early Warning System (LNEWS).

LNEWS, formerly known as Early Warning System for Food and Nutrition Security (EWS-FNS) is a component of the Philippine Food and Nutrition Surveillance System (PFNSS). It is intended to enable LGUs to take timely nutrition action through early detection of a worsening nutrition situation based on monitoring of nutrition and nutrition-related indicators.

The National Nutrition Council 8 re-oriented the municipality of Libagon on sessions from basic concepts of data collection, nutrition and nutrition-related data analysis, maintenance of the food and nutrition security early warning system and the use of the automated data management system, including the Operation Timbang (OPT) Plus automated tools.

Heads of offices and representatives of the local health sector, nutrition, social welfare and development, agriculture, planning and development, and disaster risk reduction and management were the participants of the said re-orientation.

The NNC 8 team emphasized the importance of up to date data collection and analysis to help LGU policy and decision makers mitigate or prevent food insecurity and its subsequent effects on the nutritional status of the vulnerable and the general population as well.

Guided by the various tools to be used the municipal LNEWS core team can recommend to policy and decision makers sound, practical evidence based actions to maintain food security in the municipality.

Later in the afternoon, Libagon, Southern Leyte mayor Hon. Sabina Ranque signed the LNEWS Memorandum of Agreement to formalize the partnership between the LGU and NNC. Witnesses during the MOA signing are NNC 8 team and the members of the core team. #NPC-CPD