Local health officials continue their efforts to fight malnutrition as they call on the public and private stakeholders to follow the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) from 2023 to 2028.
In a Kapihan sa PIA forum, Negros Oriental Provincial Health Office (PHO) nutritionist Antonieta Delfino said that despite increasing malnutrition cases in the country, the situation is improving in the province.
Data shows that from 2019 to 2023, the malnutrition rate in the province dropped in several categories: Underweight from 5.2 percent to 4.7 percent, wasting from 3.8 percent to 2.4 percent, stunting from 12.9 percent to 9.6 percent, and obesity from 3.8 percent to 2.4 percent.
The Local Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) has allocated a budget of P7.1 million to address malnutrition cases in the province.
This budget will support new and ongoing programs, as well as the PPAN, as part of this year’s Nutrition Month celebration.
To fully combat malnutrition not just in the province but across the country, Delfino emphasized the need for cooperation and encouraged the public to return to or adopt a healthy lifestyle.
“Most of us are always in a hurry nowadays, right? And our meal preparation is not very healthy, especially since we are always rushing, so we often resort to fast food,” Delfino said.
“That’s why we are urging everyone to return to our traditional way of preparing meals with fresh ingredients,” she added.
She also highlighted one of their projects, the PPAN caravan, where nutrition committee members visit areas with high malnutrition rates to raise awareness among local officials about combating malnutrition and creating related laws.
The forum also discussed the current indicators of malnutrition: Underweight, stunting and wasting.
Jimalalud ranked highest for underweight cases, followed by Guihulngan City, Vallehermoso, Mabinay, and Tayasan.
For stunting, Jimalalud remains in the first spot, followed by La Libertad, Guihulngan City, San Jose, and Vallehermoso.
In wasting, Basay ranked highest, followed by Vallehermoso, Mabinay, Ayungon, and San Jose.
The province garnered 9.6 percent for stunting, 4.9 percent for underweight, and 3.4 percent for wasting.
In the same forum, Krystal Katrina Bacay of the National Nutrition Council highlighted this year’s celebration theme “Sa PPAN: Sama-sama sa Nutrisyong Sapat Para sa Lahat!”
The plan aims to combat all forms of malnutrition by promoting healthier diets, better practices, and improved access to quality nutrition services.
Bacay urged local officials to follow the PPAN in their nutritional policies to address the stunting and malnutrition problem in the province.
“Being the agency of the government, the Department of Science and Technology was tasked to oversee the science and technology activities. One of the concerns being cited was food and nutrition,” said Atty. Gilbert Arbon, provincial director of DOST.
One of the projects mentioned was the food and nutrition research by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute, which undertakes research that defines the citizenry’s nutritional status, particularly focusing on the causes and effects of malnutrition.
Arbon also highlighted the importance of using calibrated weighing scales for proper monitoring of weights.
“Our intervention relies on the data. Wrong or inaccurate data might affect our planning. We might believe that they are not underweight, but in fact, they are underweight because the weighing scale we used is defective,” he added. (PIA-7 Negros Oriental)