Filipinos must adopt positive nutrition practices says NC
Filipinos must adopt positive nutrition practices to remain healthy, an official of the Cordillera office of the National Nutrition Council (NNC-CAR) said here recently.
NNC-CAR regional nutrition program coordinator Bella Basalong said that the goal of this year’s campaign is to provide a platform for meaningful discussion on the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) and increase support from stakeholders to implement the said plan.
She explained that the PPAN is the national plan to address malnutrition and hunger in the country which is localized by local government units by formulating their respective provincial, city, municipal or barangay nutrition action plans since 1976 to ensure that the problem of malnutrition is effectively addressed.
The NNC-CAR official claimed that the annual nutrition month celebration promotes three key messages which emphasizes proper nutrition for a healthy and productive life.
According to her, the PPAN serves as a guide to achieve adequate nutrition for everyone, from pregnancy to old age.
Further, through the PPAN, stunting and obesity as there is a need to ensure nutrition security for all as it highlights the need for collaboration to address child stunting and over nutrition.
Basalong underscored that the target of the PPAN is to reduce the said issues and it requires the active participation of not only the government but also civil society organizations, academic institutions, youth sector and even the business sector.
More importantly, she pointed out the need to beat the triple burden of malnutrition with the triple strategy of the PPAN where it focuses on solving the said burden that includes undernutrition, overnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies.
The triple strategy promotes health diets, improving the nutrition practices of the people, and enhancing the delivery of the nutrition services to the public.
She commended the local government for consistently formulating the city nutrition action plan and providing funds for its implementation aside from institutionalizing the formulation of barangay nutrition action plans in all the city’s barangays.
Basalong said that the strategies are crucial in addressing nutrition issues effectively because failing to plan is planning to fail.
“We are also pleased to know that in this administration, our call for local governments to install a nutritionist-dietician plantilia position had been realized. This shows your commitment in prioritizing the nutrition of the people today and for the coming generations,” Basalong stressed.
Moreover, she noted that allocating funds for the supplementary feeding of 7-23 months children is a decisive intervention because it not only mitigates hunger but also contributes to the growth and development of children, especially in their brain development which will maximize their learning potentials. Dexter A. See
