GOVPH
MENU

 

Directors Bio 3471 2756

AZUCENA MILANA-DAYANGHIRANG, MD, MCH, CESO III
ASSISTANT SECRETARY and EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
NATIONAL NUTRITION COUNCIL

Dr. Azucena M. Dayanghirang is an experienced public health leader. For the past 29 years, she has been a facilitator and a trainer for various health programs particularly on Maternal Child Health and Nutrition. She has served the people of Davao as City Nutrition Action Officer from 1991-1995; Chief of the Technical Services Division and Medical Officer VI of Davao City Health Office from 1996 to 2005; as well as the Provincial Health Officer II and Provincial Nutrition Action Officer of Davao del Sur from 2008 to 2016.

During her stint in the local government, she led the City Nutrition Committee in the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of health and nutrition programs. She initiated the “Fresh Milk Supplemental Feeding Program,” which led to the reduction of protein-energy malnutrition among 0-6-year-old children. She also successfully lobbied for the regularization of 32 Nutritionist-Dietitians deployed in the 16 Districts of Davao City in 1996.

In 2016, she was elected as the National President of the Nutrition Action Officers' Association of the Philippines (NAOPA), Inc. Shortly after, she was appointed as Deputy Executive Director of the National Nutrition Council (NNC), an attached agency of the Department of Health, Philippines. In August 2019, Dr. Dayanghirang was appointed as the Executive Director of the NNC. Currently, she is designated as the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Philippines Government Focal Point and most recently, appointed as a member of the Executive Committee of the Global Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement representing Asia and Papua New Guinea.

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte signed the appointment of Dr. Dayanghirang to Career Executive Service Officer (CESO) Rank III effective 3 December 2020. Recently, she was upgraded to Executive Director IV with the rank of Assistant Secretary as approved by President Duterte through Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea on 21 July 2021.

NNC Governing Board gives a go-ahead to 2 new policies

Details
Category: Directors Corner

picture

 

The National Nutrition Council Governing Board (NNC GB) approves two new policies in its very first meeting for the year 2021. Assistant Secretary Alex V. Avila of DOLE presides the meeting. Of the 3 agenda items discussed, two policies were approved: (1)  Guidelines on Dietary Supplementation in the First 1000 Days (GDS F1K) and (2) the Joint Memorandum Circular on the National Dietary Supplementation Program (JMC NDSP). These are both essential to achieve  the targets of the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) for 2022, particular on stunting and wasting. The other agenda for information of the board is the designation/appointment of the Scaling-Up Nutrition (SUN) adviser in the Philippines.

The GDS F1K is a much-awaited policy both in the national and local setting. It gives direction on the implementation of dietary supplementation (DS) for the pregnant and lactating women, infants 6-11 months old, and young children 12- 23 months old. The JMC NDSP is a complementary policy instrument to strengthen implementation of DS and improve the convergence among agencies, local government units (LGUs) and other stakeholders. The resolution on SUN designates Cabinet Secretary Karlo Alexei Nograles as the adviser in the Philippines. CabSec Nograles will facilitate the elevation of nutrition agenda in the country. He will help in advocating more resources for nutrition, particularly among those in the legislature and in the executive branch. This resolution was pre-approved by NNC GB Chair Secretary Duque and circulated to NNC GB on 3 February 2021 for their signature. As of this date, four out of the nine GB members have signed the resolution.

The two policies will be routed to NNC GB principals for their signature through Ad Referendum. The NNC Secretariat will make sure to disseminate a copy to all stakeholders once the document is completely signed. Every implementing agencies of DS is expected to strictly follow the guidelines once completely disseminated.

Strawberry F. Alberto