The National Nutrition Council 9 spearheaded by RNPC Ms. Nimfa Ekong in collaboration with the Provincial Nutrition Office of ZamboSur headed by PNAO Ms. Grace F. Sumogue, successfully held the 3-day Local Nutrition Action Planning Workshop last October 26-28, 2022 at Hotel Guillermo, Pagadian City. The activity was attended by the PNAO, DMO II Marie-Claire A. Gaas, PDO Ms. Ayesa Gay A. Bejerano, PDO I Ms. Kimberly M. Tanador, four (4) district nutrition program coordinators, twenty (20) Nutrition Action Officers, and seven (7) Nutritionist-Dietitians under the DOH HRH program. By the end of the workshop, the participants will be able to: 1. Explain the alarming situation of malnutrition in the country and its impact on national /local development; 2. Articulate the need to scale up nutrition in the LGU (provincial, city, and municipal) plans and budget; 3. Determine the absence, or inadequacy of nutrition in the priority development challenges in the PDPFP and CDP; 4. Formulate the nutrition situation analysis, craft a nutrition-focus priority development challenge and define projects and budgets on nutrition for integration in the PDPFP, CDP, LDIP, and 5. Prepare and take home a substantive draft of the Local Nutrition Action Plan (LNAP) 2023-2025.
This 3-day planning workshop has a total of fourteen sessions. The workshop builds on the principles of the NNC NPM and has a common goal – to integrate nutrition into local development plans and budgets. The overall goal of the mobilization effort is to contribute to the achievement of the nutrition outcomes targeted by PPAN. The intermediate outcome is in the number of LGUs implementing quality nutrition programs, and to facilitate this, we hope to output local nutrition action plans that are integrated into the comprehensive development plan, and the local development investment plan. Another output is mobilizing local chief executives or those who appreciate the importance of investing in nutrition programs and providing leadership in nutrition action.
The Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) is a national plan to end malnutrition. The Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition is a plan that works in tandem with the Philippine Development Plan. It lays up the nutrition targets, directions, and priority measures to reach those targets, which are based on the nutrition situation. We are all aware of the complexities and importance of nutrition, as well as its implications for future development. Nutrition is recognized as a crucial outcome area in the development agenda both globally and locally. Hunger and malnutrition remain to be a challenge for continued economic development and population growth of the world. In the Philippines, study results and official statistics showed that malnutrition remains to be a persistent public health concern in the country.
Highlights of the nutrition situation across the life stages also reveal patterns of differentiation by location, income classes, and sex. Among Infants and young children under two years old, stunting, overweight/obesity, and wasting have shown improvements but remain to be a concern. The most vulnerable to malnutrition are infants, children, adolescents, and pregnant women. Low birth weight among the young contributes to poor health outcomes and has life-long consequences. Incidence shows disparities across sex, geographic location, and income classes.
On the third day, Dr. Anatalio E. Cagampang, Jr., the Provincial Health Officer I, and OIC – Integrated Provincial Health Office, Zamboanga Del Sur, expressed his commitment to support the Nutrition program. He also emphasized that working together is vital to ensure a bright future for our children with enlightened minds and hearts. Formulating the Local Nutrition Plan by the Local Nutrition Committee and integrating it into other local development, is just a start. Indeed, our invisible enemy, which is malnutrition, which comes in various forms, should be reduced through a multisectoral approach. Now that we know that malnutrition, particularly stunting, has a negative impact on development which may affect an individual’s future workforce, productivity, and work performance, we must now realize that the returns to investment in nutrition are very high.
ZDS DMO II Marie-Claire Gaas, RND
