KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato (PIA) — The National Nutrition Council (NNC) emphasized the need for member agencies and stakeholders to come together in the quest to eradicate malnutrition in the country.
NNC Executive Director and Assistant Secretary Azucena Dayanghirang stated at the recent national kick-off ceremony of Nutrition Month in Koronadal City, South Cotabato, that everyone can contribute to the goal of fighting malnutrition.
The promotion of the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) 2023-2028 is the focal point of this year’s Nutrition Month.
“As a national plan, it serves as a policy and program framework for action for nutritional improvement,” she said.
Dayanghirang emphasized that the celebration revolves around the plan’s core messages. The first key message is a guide to achieving nutrition for all.
She explained that the message aims to remind everyone of the importance of adequate nutrition for all life stages.
The second message focuses on the PPAN’s implementation to reduce stunting and wasting.
“The PPAN targets to hasten the decrease of child stunting, overweight, and obesity. We can do this if all sectors will work together,” pointed out Dayanghirang.
The final key message is to combat the triple burdens of malnutrition by implementing the PPAN’s three strategies.
The “triple burdens of malnutrition” are undernutrition, overnutrition, and micronutrient deficiency, which will be addressed by promoting healthier diets, improving nutrition practices or behaviors, and enhancing access to nutrition and related services.
Meanwhile, Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo Jr. emphasized the province’s commitment to making sure the nutrition programs remain sustainable, stressing that their implementation is a process that requires effort and oversight.
“Ang ginagawa natin dito sa probinsya ng South Cotabato with the help of barangay nutrition scholars, ina-identify natin lahat ng mga malnourished natin na mga kabataan at nagkakaroon tayo ng sustainable feeding program hangga’t maabot nila ang sakto at tamang timbang,” he emphasized.
(What we do in the province is identify all of our malnourished children and implement a sustainable feeding program to help them attain their target weight, with the assistance of barangay nutrition scholars.)
The official also urged stakeholders to be part of a sustainable solution by aligning their programs to point towards a healthier South Cotabato. (SJDM – PIA Region 12)
