TACLOBAN CITY – As the nutrition status of a local government unit (LGU) will be an additional dimension in the conferment of the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG), prioritizing nutrition outlay in LGUs’ Annual Investment Plan (AIP) starting Fiscal Year (FY) 2019, might in fact be a healthy investment for localities.

This developed as Secretary Eduardo M. Ano, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), issued Memorandum Circular 2018-42 dated 26 March 2018 regarding the Adoption and Implementation of the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) 2017-2022, stipulating the guidelines on the roles and responsibilities of DILG field offices and LGUs in the implementation of PPAN 2017-2022.

The memo-circular enjoins LGUs to formulate their local nutrition action plans (LNAPs)—based on PPAN 2017-2022 programs applicable to their respective localities, and include them in their Local Development Plans and Annual Investment Programs (AIP), to ensure adequate funding for nutritional impact.

The Department of Budget Management (DBM) in regards with DILG MC 2018-42 likewise issued Local Budget Memorandum No. 77 dated 15 May 2018 –for local chief executives, Sagguniang Bayan members, budget officers, treasurers, and other concerned local officials on budgeting—guidelines for the preparation of their FY 2019 Local Budget as derived from the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA).

LBM No. 77 enjoins all provinces, cities and municipalities to prepare their FY 2019 budget and onwards for improved nutrition outcomes in accordance with DILG MC 2018-42 using as guide the list of indicative actions from PPAN 2017-2022 that would be most critical in the AIP and local budget from 2019 and onward to effectively produce nutritional outcomes.

LGUs’ FY 2019 budgets should identify priorities in the use of the IRA and other local resources, and in accordance with MC 2018-42 are to prioritize in the allocation of local funds the PPAs included in their respective LNAPs, which should have been formulated in accordance with PPAN 2017-2022!

Upon receipt of this memo (DILG MC 2018-42), the local nutrition committees are to review their latest accomplishments as well as OPT Plus reports to assess the status of such actions in terms of coverage of the nutritionally vulnerable (pregnant women, infants 0-6 months old, children 6-23 months old that together comprise the first 1000 days), the nutritionally affected (stunted children under 5 years old, wasted under 5 years old, and obese under 5 years old), nutritionally depressed barangays, geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas, and urban poor communities.

The LGUs’ respective assessments should identify problems and concerns needed to be addressed and what programs and interventions for each problem and concern the LGU decides to include and finance in its AIP from 2019 onwards.

Local nutrition budgets should not include investments covered by national government agencies among them: the DOH provides 100% of the requirement for vitamin A supplementation of children 6 months to 5 years old, iron-folic acid supplements for pregnant women and micronutrient powder for children 6-23 month old; the DSWD covers the budgets for supplementary feeding in child development centers and supervised neighborhood play; and the DepEd covers the budget for supplementary feeding for wasted children in schools and the provision of complementary health services.

Budget for various nutrition actions will come from the IRA, but special funds could be tapped, e.g. Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM) allocation, Gender and Development Funds, and Sangguniang Kabataan funds. The Special Education Funds (SEF) for ECCD programs as provided for under DILG-DepEd Joint Circular (JC) No. 1, Series 2017 may also be tapped.

The local budget shall be submitted to the Sanggunian (provincial, municipal, and city) by 17 October 2018 and reviewed within 90 days for eventual approval. Thus local nutrition committees should endeavor to prepare their nutrition budget proposal to comply with the indicated deadlines as specified in the DILG, NEDA, DBM, DoF – JMC No. 1.