Nutrition blueprint for Visayas launched

CEBU, Philippines — The National Nutrition Council spearheaded Monday the Visayas launching of the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) 2023-2028 which serves as the country’s blueprint of action for nutrition improvement for the next five years.

PPAN is the country's response to malnutrition. It is an integral component of the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028. PPAN provides the framework for improving the nutritional status of Filipinos. It also contributes to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals as well as poverty reduction and hunger mitigation.

This is in line with the mission in formulating, coordinating and monitoring nutrition policies and programs for integrated multi-sectoral action towards sustainable nutrition.

Dr. Parolita Mission, NNC-7 regional nutrition program coordinator, said that unlike the previous PPAN which focused on young children and lactating women, this year’s PPAN focuses on all age groups from birth to elderly.

PPAN is a six-year rolling plan addressing malnutrition challenges. It supports the eight-point Socioeconomic Agenda of the Marcos Administration that embraces Universal Health Care and the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 and is aligned with Ambisyon Natin 2040.

Department of Health Undersecretary, Dr. Abdullah B Dumama Jr., speaking on behalf of DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa during the launching, said that PPAN will be the north star on how nutrition plans and programs will be developed, implemented, coordinated, assessed, and funded at the national and local levels.

Dumama, also urged legislators in the Congress and the local sanggunians in the Visayas to put a premium on legislation that will strengthen the NNC and provide for local nutrition offices with staff complement that includes nutrition professionals.

Herbosa, as chairperson of the NNC Governing Board, said he witnessed how all stakeholders across the country have committed their full support to this plan’s implementation for the next five years during the launch events conducted in the past weeks.

“With these focused launches, we hope to get our shared vision and mission of fighting all forms of malnutrition by generating meaningful discussions on how important the PPAN must be implemented and managed at the local levels. As we launch the plan here in Visayas, I trust that the local chief executives and local stakeholders of Regions 5 (Bicol Region), 6 (Western Visayas), 7 (Central Visayas), and 8 (Eastern Visayas) will ensure that this new cycle of the PPAN will be implemented successfully and effectively. I am confident that all of us will continue to advocate for the plan’s implementation,” said Herboso as delivered by Dumama.

Dumama added that the war against malnutrition has long been the agenda of every administration and it is rightfully so because the country will not attain the full benefits of socioeconomic development if millions of Filipinos suffer from the triple burden of malnutrition.

According to the Social Weather Station, 10.4% or about 2.7 million Filipino families experience involuntary hunger due to the lack of food. In the Visayas, the hunger incidence is at 9.3%.

All forms of malnutrition have also plagued the Philippines across all life stages, particularly with the prevalence of overweight and obesity increasing over the years; and the regions here in the Visayas are no exception to these alarming malnutrition rates.

Furthermore, a study by the World Food Programme in 2018 showed that there is a high prevalence of households which cannot afford a nutritious diet across the Visayan regions.

Dumama said that the PPAN 2023-2028 identified 34 priority areas, of which nine are in the Visayas and two in Region 5.

He said that these are selected as they have the highest magnitude of malnutrition, food insecurity, and with the least economic capacity.

“The PPAN hopes to make substantial improvements in nutritional outcomes in these areas. I have full trust that all of us present here today will work together to ensure that malnutrition is addressed in these areas by implementing and investing in the PPAN as the blueprint of action,” Dumama added. — (FREEMAN)