A total of 18 universities and colleges located in different LGUs in Metro Manila joined the Regional SUN Academe Network in an online meeting held on April 19, 2022. The network will elevate the role of academe in driving the evidence base, strengthen research capacity, prioritize implementation of science and research, and leverage their academic voice to advocate for and position nutrition.
During the meeting, Regional Nutrition Committee Chair and Regional Director of Metro Manila Center for Health Development Dr. Gloria J. Balboa asked the support of the academe in ending malnutrition.
“We need you as our partners to uplift the status of every malnourish child to better their lives. We must not forget that the ultimate objective of the SUN Movement is for you to be a catalyst in paving the way to a better-quality life of Filipinos,” Dr. Balboa said.
Nutrition Officer III of the National Nutrition Council-NCR, Emerenciana L. Francia explained the need to scale up nutrition by discussing the current nutrition situation of NCR.
Presiding officer and Regional Nutrition Nutrition Program Coordinator of NNC-NCR, Milagros Elisa V. Federizo emphasized the need to scale up nutrition actions through the convergence of programs, multisectoral collaboration, and networking to achieve the SUN Movement’s vision of ending malnutrition by 2030.
Chef Melissa Grace S. Oreta, the President of Malabon City University, volunteered to be the group’s interim Convenor/Chair. As the network convenor, President Oreta will lead in the formulation of the NCR SUN Academe Network’s Plan of Action and to represent the Academe Network in the meetings of the SUN multisectoral networks and the Regional Nutrition Committee of NCR.
“Let’s break the vicious cycle of malnutrition. Stunted parents produce stunted children. We can help in breaking this cycle. I will always volunteer for nutrition because I feel that it will make a difference, maybe we cannot see the results now or not in our lifetime but definitely for the future. As representatives of higher education, we need to be involved and advocate for nutrition because people see the universities and colleges as knowledge center. If we advocate for nutrition, they will understand that nutrition is a crisis and nutrition is an investment,” President Oreta said in her message as convenor of the academe network.
The NNC-NCR already organized the network of Civil Society Organizations in a meeting held on April 5, 2022 (full article here https://www.nnc.gov.ph/regional-offices/luzon/national-capital-region/7606-nnc-ncr-organizes-regional-sun-civil-society-network) and will be organizing the network of business and private sectors on April 21, 2022.
Written by: NOIII Emerenciana L. Francia and NPC Milagros Elisa V. Federizo
