By virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 60, s. 1992, the National Family Week is celebrated every last week of September of every year to focus on the importance of strengthening and promoting unity, solidarity, and stability of the Filipino family as the basic unit of Filipino society. This year, the nation celebrates the 28th National Family Week with the theme “Tungo sa Maginhawa, Matatag at Panatag na Pamilyang Pilipino.”

The sub-theme “Mapagkalingang Pagtugon at Proteksyon sa Bawat Pamilyang Pilipino Mula sa Mga Suliranin sa Gitna ng Pandemyang COVID-19” emphasizes the importance of providing Filipino families with a compassionate response on economic shocks and protection from violence in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The National Committee on the Filipino Family (NCFF), chaired by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), urges the public to help address the problems surrounding Filipino households especially that the family sector faces many social problems amid this crisis, including unintended pregnancies, job and livelihood loss, mental health problems and gender-based violence, among others.

In conjunction with the National Family Week, the DSWD also enjoins Filipino families to observe the “Kainang Pamilya Mahalaga Day”. This is observed every fourth Monday of September pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 326, s. 2012. This celebration emphasizes the importance of having a common family meal to encourage parents to stay connected with their children and understand the challenges they face.

The National Nutrition Council, in support of this campaign, also encourages parents to prepare healthy family meals for their children. By following simple and easy to remember guidelines such as the 10 Kumainments and Pinggang Pinoy, Filipino families from all walks of life can find ways to lead a healthy lifestyle.

The 10 Kumainments is a campaign to promote the Nutritional Guidelines for Filipinos (NGF). It consists of messages that can easily be followed by ordinary citizens to improve their nutritional status. The Pinggang Pinoy, on the other hand, is a visual tool that uses a familiar food plate model to guide Filipinos in consuming the right amount of food in every meal. #DAFLendero