Butuan City-- To follow through the country’s progress in achieving the strategic objectives of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Global Movement, a two-day assessment consultation series was organized by the National Nutrition Council (NNC) on 10 and 14 February 2022 via zoom conference. 

Attended by 97 participants including the NNC Regional offices, the consultation series identified the strength and good practices in the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition programs, projects and activities, assess functional multisectoral and multi-stakeholder platform, check on mobilization advocacies and initiatives, measure existence of policies, guidelines and memorandum circular for increasing investments for nutrition and identify different capacity building in strengthening local government units nutrition program implementation.

The 2021 Philippine SUN Joint Assessment Consultation Series captured the different efforts provided by the Philippine SUN Networks from government, civil society, academe, non-government organization donors and business society.

Included as a priority for involvement and advocacy are: operationalization of PPAN and the Regional Plan of Action for 2023-2028, budget tracking to ensure increase investments in nutrition and establishment of a comprehensive PPAN Monitoring and evaluation system.

Assistant Secretary and NNC Executive Director, Dr. Azucena M. Dayanghirang, member of the SUN Global Executive Committee and the SUN Country Coordinator for the Philippines, appreciated the contribution and efforts shared by the different sectors in the country. Asec Dayanghirang remarked that the two-day assessment consultation manifested that indeed hunger and malnutrition are still a problem. She invites everyone to re-ignite the passion for the delivery of nutrition services and encourages everyone to complement each other’s energy to address children’s basic rights on food and nutrition.

Working in a multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder way, the SUN is aimed at achieving its four strategic objectives: bringing people together; coherent policy and legal framework; aligning programs around a common results framework; financial tracking and resource mobilization. #NASLabordo