A total of 21 civil society organizations (CSOs) pledged their commitment to become members of the SUN Civil Society Network (CSN) in the National Capital Region during the advocacy and organizational meeting held on April 5, 2022, via Zoom.

The Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement is a renewed effort to eliminate all forms of malnutrition, based on the principle that everyone has a right to food and good nutrition. It is a global movement that unites governments, civil society, donors, businesses, the United Nations, academe, researchers, and citizens in a collective effort to improve nutrition. The Movement encourages multisectoral and multi-stakeholders to work together to bring about an end to malnutrition. 

The SUN 3.0 launched in the Philippines in 2021 calls for collective action at the regional level through the organization of the regional SUN Movement networks that can work with the government in improving the nutrition situation. Thus, the SUN CSN was organized to link the CSOs with the regional and local nutrition committees for collaborative efforts to scale up nutrition action toward reducing stunting and all forms of malnutrition in the region.

During the virtual meeting, participants were oriented on the current nutrition situation at the global, national, and regional levels particularly in NCR, and the need to scale up nutrition action. They were also introduced to the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) as the country’s framework for nutrition improvement as well as on the SUN Movement 3.0 Strategy.  They were briefed as well on the expected contributions of the CSN in improving the nutrition situation in Metro Manila.

Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator of the National Nutrition Council – NCR (NNC-NCR), Ms. Milagros Elisa V. Federizo, emphasized the need to scale up nutrition action through the convergence of programs, multisectoral collaboration, and networking to achieve the SUN Movement’s vision of ending malnutrition by 2030.

"We can scale up nutrition action by increasing our nutrition program targets and beneficiaries, widening our area of coverage, adding one or more program components, and increasing the budget and resources for nutrition,” RNPC Federizo said.

The group elected Dr. Mary Christine Castro, Executive Director of the Nutrition Center of the Philippines, as the Regional SUN CSN Convener. She also gave the closing message being the Vice-Chair of the Regional Nutrition Committee of NCR (RNC-NCR).

"By working together, by improving also how we are doing our current programs, we can have more impact on the nutrition situation of our population. Kahit yung iba nagfofocus lang sa [children] under 5, sa mothers, makakacontribute po ito in improving malnutrition situation sa ating region,” Dr. Castro said in her closing message.

The Presidents of regional associations of Nutrition Action Officers, City/District Nutrition Program Coordinators, Barangay Nutrition Scholars, and members of the Regional Nutrition Committee-NCR were also present at the meeting.

In compliance with RNC Resolution No. 1 Series of 2022 entitled “Adopting the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) 3.0 Strategy and Organization of Regional SUN Movement Networks in the National Capital Region” and the directive of the SUN Coordinator for the Philippines, NNC Executive Director Assistant Secretary Dr. Azucena M. Dayanghirang, the NNC-NCR will convene and organize regional networks of business, civil society, and academe. The organizational meetings for the academe and business networks will take place on April 19 and 21, respectively.

Written by: NO I Janna Alexia M. Necio and NPC Milagros Elisa V. Federizo