The City/District Nutrition Program Coordinators (C/DNPC) of Metro Manila Association focused its regional conference this year on the importance of building food and nutrition resilience to mitigate the effects of the pandemic on nutrition with the theme, “Embracing the New Normal: Building Food and Nutrition Resilience”. Held virtually on December 2-3, 2021, the conference was attended by 144 nutritionist-dietitians from the 17 local government units (LGU) in NCR, hospital, and academe. Students taking up BS Nutrition and Dietetics were also present during the conference.
Addressing the country’s malnutrition problem entails a multi-level and multi-disciplinary approach that calls for intensive and sustained support from the national government agencies, local government units, non-governmental organizations, and the private sectors.
Based on The World Bank Brief on Food Security and COVID (13 December 2021), COVID-19 is estimated to have dramatically increased the number of people facing acute food insecurity in 2020-2021. Effects of food insecurity include decreasing quantity and quality of food consumption that may lead to hunger and malnutrition.
Malnutrition is a threat-multiplier. If no action is taken, the effects of the current COVID-19 pandemic will only make it harder for vulnerable populations to protect themselves against malnutrition (2020 Global Nutrition Report). Stakeholders must act now in building our food and nutrition resiliency.
Technical sessions during the 2-day conference revolved around topics on building food and nutrition resilience and local government initiatives toward better nutrition practices in the new normal.
Cabinet Secretary Atty. Karlo Alexei B. Nograles, in his keynote message, encouraged the nutritionist-dietitians to ramp up efforts to improve and sustain actions on food security and nutrition.
“The national food policy spells out the programs, activities and projects aimed to do all these, and mechanisms are already in place. What is needed now is the genuine commitment to work together and maximize available resources to finally attain the healthy, food secure and hunger free Philippines,” CabSec. Nograles said.
He added, “Be the models to your counterparts across the country as we transition to the new normal. It is my hope that we solve this health crisis soonest for the future generation. Walang maiiwan sa laban kontra gutom. Lahat kasali, lahat kasalo.”.
Written by:
NOII Theresa A. Rivas and
NPC Milagros Elisa V. Federizo
References:
- Brief on Food Security and COVID-19. The World Bank. 13 December 2021. https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/agriculture/brief/food-security-and-covid-19
- 2020 Global Nutrition Report. https://globalnutritionreport.org/reports/2020-global-nutrition-report/
