With the strong collaboration of the National Nutrition Council (NNC) to ensure the implementation of the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) 2017-2022, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Budget Management (DBM) and other concerned agencies enjoined the Local Government Units to invest in nutrition by integrating nutrition specific programs, projects and activities from the PPAN with adequate provision of funds from the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) and other local resources of the LGUs.

This is strongly guided by policy issuances to ensure that the alarming state of malnutrition in the country will be addressed and the country’s global commitments will be also be achieved.

The DILG and DOH issued the Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No. 2019-0001 which prescribe the guidelines on the integration of specific programs, projects and activities (PPAs) from the PPAN 2017-2022 to the local development plans, investment programs and budget of local government units. This is in support to the DILG MC 2018-42 dated 26 March 2018 on the adoption and implementation of the PPAN 2017-2022 and the DBM Local Budget Memorandum 77, 77-A and 78 which enjoined all provinces, cities and municipalities including barangays to prepare their budget for FY 2020 and onwards for improved nutrition outcomes.

To facilitate the LGUs’ immediate actions, the NNC provided planning-workshop to PPAN priority provinces in 2019 where concerned LGUs crafted their local nutrition action plans for 2020 to 2022 which will eventually an integral to their respective development plans.  

In Region I, NNC- Regional Office I in coordination with the DILG- Regional Office I covered the Province of Pangasinan, one of the PPAN focused provinces including all its towns on the said planning-workshop. The Province of La Union was also covered.

With these issuances, the LGUs are well guided to boost their nutrition actions and to prioritize nutrition programs. The NNC will continue provide technical assistance to LGUs on the preparation of their local plans and with the assistance of the DILG, NNC will assess the extent of compliance of local governments.

The DILG shall also include nutrition indicators through Local Governance Performance Management Systems Profiling and to consider the same in the Seal of Good Local Governance criteria for 2020 onwards to encourage full LGUs’ compliance. /KPAG