Manila - The Philippines strengthens its efforts to improve food and nutrition security of Filipinos through the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) 2023-2028. The PPAN was presented recently by the National Nutrition Council, the Department of Health, Department of the Interior and Local Government and other government agencies.
The PPAN serves as the blueprint or framework to guide government, NGOs, academe, private sector in a coordinated effort to reduce all forms of malnutrition. This is the 11th national plan for food and nutrition since 1974 when nutrition started to be considered as a national priority of the government. Significant improvements in nutrition have been achieved since then. Micronutrient deficiencies have been lowered to below the level of public health significance and the prevalence of underweight children has declined. However, the country remains to have high levels of child stunting with 26.4% or 1 in every 4 children under five years of age are short for their age. Compared to other countries in the ASEAN, the decline in child stunting prevalence has been steady but progress has been slow. Children with stunting are more four times more likely to die, have reduced intelligence quotient by as much as 11 points, have 22% reduced earning potential. The Philippines loses about 1.5 to 3% of its gross domestic product annually because of child stunting. Overweight and obesity especially among children and adults is steadily increasing as well.
The new PPAN sets directions for food and nutrition policies and strategies intended for various stakeholders and duty-bearers from the government, NGOs, development partners, academe, private sector, and local government units. It seeks to address all forms of malnutrition with a particular focus on stunting and wasting, overweight and obesity, poor infant and young child feeding practices, and micronutrient deficiencies.
More than ever, nutrition has been widely recognized as one of the pillars for socioeconomic development in our country by the Marcos Administration. In this year’s State of the Nation Address, President Ferdinant Marcos, Jr. has included nutrition as one of his administration’s priority agenda, as seen in the inclusion of pregnant women and children in the First 1000 Days of Life on the Food Stamp Program as led by the DSWD. Improving food and nutrition security has been also included in the targets of the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 by expanding access of consumers to affordable, safe, and nutritious food and the attainment of a sufficient and stable supply of food commodities.
The PPAN 2023-2028 supports the achievement of eight-point Socioeconomic Agenda of the Marcos Administration, the Universal Health Care, the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 and the long-term vision of Ambisyon Natin 2040 (Matatag, Maginhawa, at Panatag na Buhay). It is aligned with global commitments to address the tightly linked food and nutrition challenges embodied in the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the 2025 Global Targets for Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition, and the 2014 International Conference on Nutrition.
On a wider scale, the PPAN takes on a whole-of-society approach underscoring the convergence of efforts of the involved stakeholders and sectors to ensure effective and efficient implementation. Its strategies include supporting Filipinos to have access to and consume healthier diets, adopt positive nutrition behaviors and practices, and better access to nutrition and related services.
“Just as the Department under my leadership envisions achieving the objectives of the Universal Health Care Act, carrying out PPAN would need a humanistic approach where the public’s welfare is prioritized above all. I stand here today not only asking for your vigorous support in carrying out the PPAN but in also ensuring that the system in implementing this plan is, above all, humanistic – HIGIT SA LAHAT, MAKATAO”, said Secretary of Health and NNC Governing Board Chair Ted Herbosa.
NNC Executive Director Assistant Secretary Dr. Azucena Dayanghirang calls on stakeholders to push PPAN 2023-2028 at the national, regional, and local levels by 1) supporting the passage of law on strengthening NNC as a commission and establishment of nutrition offices with permanent human resource and budgetary allocation at all levels; 2) high-level advocacy and capability building for national government agencies on nutrition-sensitive programming; 3) consistent and continuous messaging and a whole-society approach to develop a culture of nutrition-conscious Filipinos; 4) improvement of nutrition sensitivity in agricultural sector thrusts and strategic agenda; 5) social protection for low-income families (expansion of 4Ps program); and 6) Nutritionist-Dietitians to the Barrios + Inter-referral systems (schools, communities, health facilities) for Mental Health and Nutrition.
The NNC will organize sub-island launches in the coming weeks to further disseminate the PPAN, especially among local chief executives and local functionaries.
Visit the National Nutrition Council website (www.nnc.gov.ph) and Facebook Page (@NNCOfficial and @First1000DaysPH) for more information about the PPAN 2023-2028. (NNC)
