Vigan City, the capital town of Ilocos Sur, is a 4th class component city located on the western coast of the large island of Luzon, facing the West Philippine Sea. It is one of the few cities with history of preserved Spanish and Asian architecture that resulted to being recognized as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites and one of the 7 Wonder Cities of the World. But more than the exemplary work on heritage preservation, the city is also known for its outstanding performance in meeting the health and nutrition needs of its asset, the Bigueños.
Despite of the threat of the Covid-19, the City Nutrition Committee continued to invest in the Bigueños health and nutrition through sustainable implementation of various interventions and by creating resilience toward positive nutrition outcomes as a response to the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN). With its multi-sectoral approach and participatory governance in addressing its nutrition challenges and inequities, the city crafted the City Nutrition Action Plan as its blueprint in achieving the city’s vision of a healthy heritage community. The inputs of various partners and stakeholders had greatly contributed to its development.
Programs promoting maternal health and child nutrition is nothing new in the city. With the goal of a better nutrition and health outcomes, the city continues to intensify the implementation of the First 1000 Days program. One of its sustained innovations is the “Itlog Para sa Nanay at Sanggol na Malusog” was launched in 2018, the city provided eggs for the nutritionally-at-risk pregnant women for 90 days. In 2021, fortified products such as iodized salt, breads, margarines and others were added to the supplementation. The project was able to ensure that 98% of the beneficiaries resulted to babies with normal weight and height. Also, the city maintained the breastfeeding rooms located in the Vigan City Hall and Public Market, the 39 Barangay Nutrition Committees were also able to establish their own breastfeeding stations in the barangay. A monitoring system for the government and private institutions were ensured and supported with City Ordinance No. 17 of 2016 “Ordinance on Promoting Breastfeeding Stations in all Government and Commercial Establishments in Vigan.” Since 2008, annual simultaneous breastfeeding activities are conducted, as supported by City Resolution No. 41 of 2008 declaring August 7 every year as mass breastfeeding activity in the city. Furthermore, immunization, vitamin a supplementation, deworming, micronutrient supplementation and other supplementation for pregnant, lactating and children were strengthened and sustained.
By: City Nutrition Committee of Vigan City