BRIEF PROFILE OF THE REGION

           The Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) was established on July 15,1987 through Executive Order No. 220 issued by President Corazon C. Aquino.

CAR is located in the north central part of Luzon, which is comprised of the provinces of Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, Mt. Province, and the chartered city of Baguio, and has 76 municipalities and 1,176 barangays.

It is the country's only land-locked region bounded by Ilocos Norte and Cagayan in the North, Pangasinan and Nueva Ecija in the south, Cagayan Valley in the east, and the Ilocos Region in the west.

The region’s distinct climate from that of the country's lowland colonized regions is due to its rugged terrain and mountainous topography.  Dubbed as the "Watershed Cradle of North Luzon", CAR hosts major rivers that provide continuous water for irrigation and energy for Northern Luzon.

POPULATION AND LAND AREA

Land area and 2015 population, CAR

Source: Land area from RDC Regional Development Plan and Population Projection from 2020-2025 is based on DOH-CHD-CAR Memorandum Circular no 2020-007: Population Projections to be Used in the Preparation of Statistical Reports for CY 2020-2025 dated Feb 26, 2020)

About 15 percent of the region’s land area or 282,543 hectares are classified as alienable and disposable and 85 percent or 1,583,117 hectares are classified as forest land including those within protected areas. Such land classification, along with the steep terrain of the region, limits areas suitable for agriculture and settlements such that farms and built-up areas encroach into forest areas.

The region is home to 1,807,738 (2020 Projected Population based on DOH-CHD-CAR Memorandum Circular no 2020-007 )of which about two thirds are indigenous peoples, making it the most diversified ethno-linguistic region in the Philippines. Among the six provinces, Benguet had the biggest population in 2020 with 478,334 and Apayao had the smallest population of 123,898. Baguio City, the only highly urbanized city had 370,218.

The population of CAR accounted for about 1.7 percent of the Philippine population and grew at a rate of 1.2 percent.

REGIONAL NUTRITION PROFILE

The following table shows the regional profile in figures based on the following sources: 2015 Population Census (POPCEN); 2013 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), 2013 and 2015 National Nutrition Survey (NNS) and 2019 Operation Timbang (OPT) and DepEd-CAR Report.

Source: Updated Projected Mid-Year Population Based on 2015 POPCEN by Five-Year Age Group, Sex, Single Calendar Year by Province: 2015-2025

Source: OPT Plus 2019, NNS 2013, NNS 2015 (Updating of Nutrition situation in CAR), Dep-Ed CAR Consolidated Nutritional Status of School Learners SY 2019-2020

A. STUNTING

Prevalence of stunting among under five children by province/city, 2017-2019

                Source: OPT Plus, 2017-2019

The provinces of Abra (17.28%), Apayao (15.79%) and Kalinga (14.94) showed three highest stunting prevalence in 2019. Based from the 2017-2019 data, trend showed a continues decrease in stunting prevalence among the provinces/city of Apayao, Benguet, Kalinga and Baguio City.

B. WASTING

Prevalence of wasting among under five children by province/city, 2017-2019

              Source: OPT Plus, 2017-2019

The province with the highest prevalence of wasting among 0-59-month-old children includes Abra with 4.96%. It is followed by Kalinga and Apayao with 3.76 % and 3.51% respectively.

C.UNDERWEIGHT FOR AGE

Prevalence of underweight and severely underweight under five children by province/city, 2017-2019

                       Source: OPT Plus, 2017-2019

From 2017-2018, Abra and Apayao had the highest prevalence of underweight for under-five children among all the provinces. However, in 2019 the prevalence of Apayao decreased to 5.54 % while Kalinga underweight prevalence increased to 6.31% making Kalinga one of the provinces with highest prevalence next to Abra with 8.78%.

Based on the 2019 OPT results, among the 13 municipalities with prevalence higher than 10 percent, 12 are all from Abra and 1 from Mt. Province.

Benguet showed consistent decreases in underweight prevalence among under-five children in the last three years. All other provinces and city showed an erratic trend.

D. OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY 

At the regional level, the prevalence of overweight and obesity among children under five years old decreased continuously in the three years period from 2017 to 2019.

Based on the table below, Benguet, Mt. Province and Baguio City showed the consistent decreases in the overnutrition prevalence for three years while Abra, Apayao, Ifugao and Kalinga had inconsistent trends in prevalence.

Prevalence of overweight and obesity among under five children by province/city, 2017- 2019

                            Source: OPT Plus, 2017-2019

E. COMPARISON AMONG MALES AND FEMALES

OPT results in 2019 among 0-59 months showed that males are slightly more malnourished compared to females based on weight for age, weight for height and height for age indices. There are more boys measured for both weight and height in the region in 2019 as in previous years of OPT Plus.

Prevalence of malnutrition among under five years old children by sex, 2019

                                                                      Source: OPT Plus, 2019

 F. CAR VERSUS OTHER REGIONS BASED ON NNS RESULTS

Stunting prevalence among 0-59 months in CAR is higher than the national average. Among 5 to 10 years old, CAR had a lower prevalence in 2015, and among 10 to 19 years, CAR showed lower prevalence in 2013 and 2015 surveys. Table 11 shows the National Nutrition Survey (NNS) stunting prevalence for CAR and the national averages in 2013 and 2015.

Stunting prevalence by age group, CAR vs. Philippines

The NNS 2013 and NNS 2015 updating results show that except for stunting among 0-59 months, CAR is better than other regions on weight for age, and weight for height malnutrition indicators for other age groups, i.e, 5-10 years old, 11-19 years, 20 years and above, pregnant and lactating mothers. The table below shows the comparative data based on the 2013 and 2015 NNS.

Underweight prevalence by age group, CAR vs Philippines

Note: *Rank of region is not shown in the 2015 updating but there is not much change between the two surveys

In terms of overweight/obesity, CAR has higher prevalence in all age groups compared to the national and compared to other regions in 2013. NNS data for 2015 did not show regional comparisons but the CAR average remained much higher than the national average except for children under five years old.

Overnutrition prevalence by age group, CAR vs Philippines

Hypertension prevalence among adults in CAR of 26.5 percent is the second highest (next to Central Luzon). CAR also has the third highest prevalence in total cholesterol at 23.4 percent of adults with the national average of 18.6 percent. However, prevalence of diabetes is 4.4 percent in CAR, lower than the national average of 5.6 percent and 5th lowest among regions.

CAR also has the lowest percentage of smoking adults (15.3 percent vs the national average of 23.3 percent). The proportion of smoking among adolescents, 3.5 percent, makes CAR the 5th region with lowest prevalence (the national average is 5.5 percent).

The proportion of binge drinking among currently drinking adults is 65.7 percent, the third highest among regions. The national average is 55.2 percent.

Percentage of insufficiently active adults are 2nd lowest in CAR at 28.3 percent with the national average at 42.5 percent.

G. IODINE DEFICIENCY

The 2013 NNS showed that the average median urinary iodine concentration (mcg/L) among 6 to 12 years old is considered sufficient at 123. However, among the provinces, Abra and Mountain Province were considered below sufficient at 70 and 87. In terms of the proportion of IUE values below 50 ug/L, the CAR average is 26.4.

In terms of Iodine Deficiency Disorders, the median urinary iodine concentration among pregnant and lactating women is 68 ug/l and 60 ug/l respectively which are considered very low from the standard of 250 ug/l per day for both pregnant and lactating women based on FAO/WHO recommendation.

This calls for a more aggressive implementation of RA 7182 or the ASIN Law.

H.   ANEMIA

Based on 2013 NNS, CAR has the lowest anemia prevalence compared to other regions for the following age groups: children 6-12 years old children, children 13-19 years old, and adults 20 years but below 60 years. The prevalence of anemia among 13-19 years old is considered of low public health significance and the rest as mild. Prevalence among children 6 months to 5 years old and among those over 60 are still lower than the national average and the prevalence are considered to be of mild public health significance based on the 2001 WHO levels of hemoglobin. There is a need to sustain the gains and further decrease prevalence of anemia among critical age groups.

Anemia prevalence by age group, CAR vs. Philippines, 2013

G. VITAMIN A

            According to the 2013 NNS, 12.5 percent or 1 in every 10 of children 6 months to 5 years old have low to deficient serum retinol. Low Vitamin A level especially among children decreases the child’s immunity to infectious diseases. There is a need to continue to increase coverage of vitamin A.

***end***