City of Koronadal, South Cotabato –The Regional Development Council (RDC) XII passed Resolution No. 12, Series of 2018, supporting the PPAN, 2017-2022 to help push and implement the nutrition programs in the country during its 61st Regular Meeting on March 21, 2018 in Koronadal City.
The PPAN, 2017-2022 is the country’s framework for nutrition action. It aims to improve the nutrition situation of the country and contribute to the achievement of AmBisyon Natin 2040, particularly in improving human capital and reducing its vulnerabilities brought about by malnutrition. The plan identified nutrition specific programs to address immediate causes of malnutrition, nutrition sensitive programs to address underlying causes, and the enabling programs to propel its implementation. Nutrition sensitive programs are sectoral programs that were tweaked to contribute to the nutritional outcomes like livelihood and employment opportunities, among others.

The Regional Social Development Committee (RSDC) XII, during its 1st quarter meeting on March 7, 2018 in Koronadal City, discussed and endorsed the PPAN to RDC XII for support. Ms. Annalita Mae V. Flores of National Nutrition Council XII during her presentation of the plan said, “if the current administration declares war on drugs, the nutrition thru PPAN declares also war against Malnutrition. Malnutrition is also one of our enemies, and winning over the enemy starts with an understanding the enemy.”
The three major forms of malnutrition are: a) stunting where people are too short for their age; b) wasting where people are too thin for their height; and c) obesity where people are overweight.
Based on the survey conducted in 2015 by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (FNRI-DOST), in the Philippines, stunting among children below 5 years old was placed at 33.4%, wasting at 7.1%, and overweight at 3.9%. However, obesity among 11-19 years old was high at 9.2%.
The said malnutrition status is considered a public health problem. Thus, focus of action should be two fronts; first is reducing stunting among infants, and second is preventing the increase during the first year of life.
Implementation of the nutrition programs will help achieve nutrition targets toward improving the nutrition situation. Among the targets by 2022, for under 5 children stunting shall be at 30%, wasting at < 5%, and obesity at 1.4%, and among 11-19 years old, the target for obesity is at 3.7%.
The PPAN, 2017-2022 also gives importance to the first 1,000 days of life because good nutrition starts in the mother’s womb.
The Council likewise acknowledged the importance of hiring a permanent Nutrition Action Officer to help direct nutrition actions or plans towards its goal.
The realization of the PPAN programs will help contribute to the attainment of long and healthy life among Filipinos. (Evie Arabis Cabulanan, NEDA XII-DRD)