MAASIN CITY, Philippines (11 March) -- Nutrition inspectorates from the regional and national level evaluate nutrition accomplishments here to defend the national award given to the city last year, City Mayor Maloney Samaco revealed during the radio program held this morning at station DyDM.

In his interview, Samaco disclosed that the evaluators, (2) from Manila and (3) from Tacloban City, started their validation today, March 11 until March 13. They selected (5) barangays which was drawn from the 70 total barangays in the city, namely Sta. Rosa, San isidro, Tunga-tunga, Sta. Cruz and Bato I.

Although, all of the barangays were required to prepare all the necessary documents that are needed in the evaluation, Mayor Samaco said that they had to defend their title received last year as Consistent Regional Outstanding Winner in Nutrition (CROWN) Awardee.

Samaco relayed that Maasin City was awarded four times being an outstanding achiever in the field of nutrition, this year, hopefully will be the 5th, he said. The CROWN award is given to Green Banner Awardees which maintained good performance in managing nutrition plans for three consecutive years.

Areas which have received the CROWN Award are monitored by an inter-agency National Evaluation Team for a period of three (3) years to check whether their efforts in maintaining a downward trend of malnutrition are sustained through a well coordinated plan implementation, it was learned.

The Maasin City Nutrition Council was supported by the inter agency participation as members, the Barangay Nutrition Scholars, Barangay Health Workers and the Barangay Council. (PIA-Southern Leyte)