On 5 March 2014, Dr. Enrique T. Ona, Secretary of Health and Chair of the National Nutrition Council, announced the intention of the Government of the Philippines to join the Movement for Scaling-Up Nutrition. The official letter highlighted the commitment of the National Nutrition Council to ending hunger and malnutrition in all its forms and ensuring that each Filipino enjoys his/her right to good food and good nutrition. This is especially important for young children. In 2013, UNICEF identified the Philippines as the 9th country in the world with the most number of stunted children*.
The National Nutrition Council is the highest policy making and coordinating body on nutrition in the Philippines and led the formation of the The council was established in 1978 as an integral component of the Philippine Development Plan. Since then, action for improved nutrition has evolved to include both direct nutrition interventions and indirect nutrition-sensitive approaches.
The National Nutrition Council’s (NNC) Governing Board and technical committee is the multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder platform (MSP) and coordinating structure in the Philippines for nutrition, as per the 1987 Reorganization Act. To encourage private sector engagement, the President has appointed two private sector representatives to the NNC Governing Board. The SUN Civil Society Alliance was also formally organised in 2017. The planning and approval process of the Philippines Plan of Action on Nutrition (PPAN) 2017-2022 has helped align sectors and stakeholders. The PPAN aims to contribute to the country’s long-term vision, dubbed “AmBisyon 2040”
Last updated: November 2017
Last updated: December 2016
Non-government organisations in the Philippines have formed the coalition The Philippine Coalition of Advocates in Nutrition. The coalition is represented in the formal government structure for policy formulation and coordination.
At the local level, inter-agency local nutrition committees are chaired by elected local chief executives. These committees, provide the mechanism for multi-sectoral action to address local nutrition problems. Further decentralisation exists at the village or barangay level with community-based nutrition volunteer workers called Barangay Nutrition Scholars. These scholars identify families with malnourished (both over- and undernourished) children through regular growth monitoring activities, and assist in the delivery of nutrition and related interventions.
Last updated: October 2015
The National Plan of Action for Nutrition pursues policy adoption on two tracks: i.e. by legislation or through administrative issuances, such as Executive Orders, Administrative Orders, Memorandum Circulars. The priority pieces of legislation to be worked on in near the future are on the protection of children from marketing of unhealthy food and beverages, the amendment to Presidential Decree (PD) 1569 “Barangay Nutrition Scholar Program”, the institutionalisation of the “First 1,000 Days” and developing an Act to impose a 10 per cent value added tax (VAT) on fizzy drinks. An extension of maternity leave is being considered in Congress. The national advocacy and communication strategy will be completed by the end of 2017.
Last updated: November 2017
Last updated: December 2016
The Department of Health has begun to formulate its Strategic Plan on Nutrition (2015-2025) to ensure coordinated strategic action among its different programs and operating units. At the local level, local nutrition committees formulate threeyear local nutrition action plans as a component of the local development plan.
Last updated: October 2015
The NNC Governing Board approved the 2017-22 Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition in February 2017. The Governing Board also endorsed a draft Executive Order regarding the implementation of the PPAN for the President’s approval. Decentralised structures have been established in the Philippines, through local nutrition committees that also formulate and implement their respective nutrition action plans. The PPAN’s monitoring and evaluation framework is being developed.
Last updated: November 2017
Last updated: December 2016
Last updated: October 2015
Costings are only available for supply driven interventions, based on estimated total requirements. Individual agencies receive their budgets allocations as per their respective programmes forecast. A resource mobilisation strategy is being developed, envisaging the scaling up needs of the PPAN 2017-2022. Nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions are identified in the PPAN framework that can be used to categorise agency budgets and allocations that are to be sourced from the General Appropriations Act (GAA). Likewise, UN development partners commit to mobilise resources, by aligning their respective country development plans with the priorities set forth under the PPAN.
Last updated: November 2017
Last updated: December 2016
Last updated: October 2015
Dr. Azucena M. Dayanghirang
Executive Director National Nutrition Council Department of Health
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