Ka-Nutrisyon, have you ever heard of the agency, “NNC”?
The National Nutrition Council (NNC) was created in 1974 through Presidential Decree 491 or the “Nutrition Act of the Philippines” as the country’s highest policymaking and coordinating body on nutrition.
The NNC is tasked to execute the following core functions:
- Formulate policies and strategies on food and nutrition;
- Coordinate the management of the national nutrition program through planning, monitoring, and evaluation;
- Coordinate the release of funds, loans, and grants from government organizations and nongovernment organizations; and
- Call on any department, bureau, office, agency and other instrumentalities of the government for assistance in the form of personnel, facilities and resources as the need arises.
Executive Order No. 234 in 1987 reorganized the NNC. Following this EO, the Governing Board (GB) acts as the policy-making body, while the Secretariat functions as the Executive arm of the NNC.
The Secretary of the Department of Health (DOH) chairs the GB, with the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior and Local Government as the vice-chairs. Other members of the GB are the Department of Education, National Economic and Development Authority, Department of Social Welfare and Technology, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Budget and Management, Department of Trade and Industry, and the Department of Labor and Employment; three private-sector representatives also sit in the GB, as appointed by the President of the republic.
On the other hand, the NNC Secretariat is led by the Office of the Executive Director, with three technical divisions, two support divisions, and 17 regional offices under its wing. At present, the NNC is headed by Assistant Secretary and Executive Director Azucena M. Dayanghirang, MD, MCH, CESO III.
At the subnational levels, the multisectoral composition and the functions of the NNC are replicated. At the regional level, the NNC GB counterpart is the Regional Nutrition Committee (RNC), chaired by the Regional Director of DOH, while the NNC Regional Office’s Nutrition Program Coordinator functions as the secretary.
At the local level, the Provincial, City, Municipal, and Barangay Nutrition Committees are the main nutrition program managers tasked to manage and coordinate the planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of their Local Nutrition Action Plans (LNAP); such plans form part of the local development plans and investment programs. Local Chief Executives (LCEs) serve as the Chairpersons for the Local Nutrition Committees (LNCs), and the Nutrition Action Officers and their staff, in coordination with the LNCs, will enable local government units to implement laws and programs in an integrated manner.
The logo of the NNC is represented by a spoke of spoons, which means that improving the nutrition situation cannot be achieved by spoon-feeding alone nor by the generosity of a single sector or agency's spoon. To address malnutrition, collaborative ideas and efforts are needed, seeking unity seeking unity and totality of approach toward nutritional adequacy for all Filipinos.
The NNC stays true to its commitment of improving the nutrition of all Filipinos and championing nutrition through formulation of policies for nutrition and coordinating comprehensive and holistic programs that are responsive to the needs of the population.
References:
About Us. (n.d.). National Nutrition Council. https://nnc.gov.ph/about-us
Executive Order No. 234, s. 1987. (1987). Official Gazette. https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1987/07/22/executive-order-no-234-s-1987/
Presidential Decree No. 491, s. 1974. (1974). Official Gazette. https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1974/06/25/presidential-decree-no-491-s-1974/
