Republic of the Philippines

Department of Health
NATIONAL NUTRITION COUNCIL

2022 NUTRITION MONTH

TALKING POINTS

JULY 1, 2022
NATIONAL NUTRITION COUNCIL
2332 Chino Roces Avenue Extension, Taguig City
 2022 NUTRITION MONTH

TALKING POINTS
TABLE OF CONTENT
I. What is Nutrition Month? 2

II. What is the theme of the 48th Nutrition Month? 2

III. What are the objectives of the 48th Nutrition Month? 2

IV. What are the key messages of the 48th Nutrition Month? 2

V. How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected nutrition? 4

VI. What are the positive impacts brought by the pandemic? 6

VII. How did the pandemic change delivery of nutrition and related interventions? 7

VIII. How is “new normal” defined? 10

IX. What is the link between nutrition and resilience for a better new normal? 11

X. What do we aim for nutrition in the new normal? 13

XI. What are the opportunities for nutrition in the new normal? 14

XII. What are the roles of stakeholders to improve nutrition for a better new
normal? 15

XIII. What are ways to support Nutrition Month? 16

References

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I. What is Nutrition Month?

Nutrition Month is an annual campaign held every July to create greater awareness
among Filipinos on the importance of nutrition as provided under Presidential Decree
491, or the Nutrition Act of the Philippines. The law also mandates the National Nutrition
Council (NNC) to lead and coordinate the nationwide campaign.

II. What is the theme of the 48th Nutrition Month?

The NNC Technical Committee approved, through ad referendum, the theme for this
year's Nutrition Month campaign which is "New normal na nutrisyon, sama-samang
gawan ng solusyon!" The theme calls for strengthened nutrition interventions and
solidarity towards nutrition improvement as the country shifts towards living with the
COVID-19 virus. The theme signifies the key role of nutrition in building resilience from
pandemic to endemic paradigm. The term "new normal" was adopted to indicate a
transition to a better normal while bringing the positive impacts of the pandemic to
become more resilient and prevent future pandemics. The pandemic has made a huge
impact on nutrition, such as disruptions in delivering nutrition and related services,
increased hunger incidence, etc. But there are also positive impacts such as innovation in
service delivery, home food production, increased awareness of one's health and
consuming healthy diets, and solidarity amongst the people to help each other.

III. What are the objectives of the 48th Nutrition Month?

The campaign calls for a collective effort to improve nutrition as we move forward to a
better new normal. The campaign aims to:
1. Raise the awareness of the importance of nutrition in building resilience and
recovery from the pandemic;
2. Stimulate discussions among stakeholders on how to build back better the design,
delivery, and scale-up of nutrition interventions; and
3. Engage various sectors and the public in activities that promote nutrition.

IV. What are the key messages of the 48th Nutrition Month?

The Nutrition Month campaigns promotes these key messages:

1. Good nutrition is key to building immunity, protecting against illness and infection,
and supporting recovery. Efforts to preserve and promote proper nutrition must be
part of pandemic resilience strategies.
2. Promote and adopt health-enhancing nutrition behaviors, including the consumption
of sustainable healthy diets.
3. Call for continued solidarity to support food and nutrition security, especially for the
most vulnerable
4. Expand multi-sectoral engagements to scale-up nutrition interventions

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5. Strengthen leadership and governance in nutrition across all levels to achieve

nutritional outcomes of the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition.

The campaign aims to reach specific target groups whose behavior or actions can
support nutrition improvement with these messages:

Audience Key Messages

Individuals and • Ensure proper nutrition to build body resistance against
families disease. (Siguruhin ang tamang nutrisyon para sa malakas na
resistensya laban sa sakit)
• Let us work together to end hunger and malnutrition for all
families. (Magtulungan tayo para labanan ang kagutuman at
makamit ng bawat pamilya ang sapat na pagkain at
nutrisyon.)
• Continue to follow health protocols as prescribed by
authorities. (Sundin natin ang health protocols ayon sa
itinakda ng autoridad.)

Local chief • Ensure the continued and scaled-up delivery of nutrition

executives and services through:
councilors and o Establish a nutrition office with staff complement
members of the including a permanent full-time nutrition action officer
local nutrition o Prepare your three-year local nutrition action plan and
committees include in your local development plan and annual
investment plans
o Provide support to Barangay Nutrition Scholars
including basic and continuing trainings and incentives;
Add more BNS in barangays that are geographically
isolated and have higher population
o Issue ordinances that support nutrition (can refer to
compilation of local ordinances at
www.nnc.gov.ph/compendium)
Non-government • Join the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement Philippines as the
organizations, platform for engagement to scale up nutrition actions in the
private sector, country
academe
National • Ensure that nutrition is integrated in sectoral policies and
government programs
agencies • Promote nutrition among workforce and clientele
Congress and the • Enact legislation towards efforts to eliminate all forms of
President malnutrition including these priority legislation:
o Strengthening the nutrition program by amending
PD 491 (Nutrition Act of the Philippines)

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Audience Key Messages

o Amending PD 1569 or Strengthening the Barangay
Nutrition Program and providing for Barangay Nutrition
Scholars in every barangay
o Providing for a Nutrition Office and Nutrition Action
Officer in every Province, City and Municipality
o Protecting children from harmful marketing of
unhealthy food and beverages
• Issue an executive order to implement the Philippine Plan of
Action for Nutrition 2023-2028 and provide budgetary cover
for nutrition and on Addressing Obesity

V. How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected nutrition?

The COVID- 19 pandemic has undermined nutrition across the globe as governments
imposed various restrictions. In the Philippines, the lockdowns and restrictions limited
movement of the people, goods and services which essentially slowed the economy.
These consequences are bound to impact on nutrition.

A. Likely increase in malnutrition. The Rapid Nutrition Assessment Survey (RNAS)

conducted by the Department of Science and Technology – Food and Nutrition
Research Institute in 2020 reported that loss of weight among children was
observed with 2 in every ten children, with a higher proportion among children
from severely food insecure households [1].

B. Disruption in delivery and availment of nutrition services. The 2020 RNAS

revealed that at the time of the survey infants and pre-school children were highly
affected by the disruption of nutrition services and delivery of nutrition
interventions. Results have shown that the number of children who received
nutrition services such as OPT plus, deworming, supplementary feeding, and
vitamin A supplements significantly decreased. Children who were able to
participate in OPT plus went down from 83% in 2019 to 51% in 2020 due to
lockdowns and limited movement of health care workers. The number of children
who received dietary supplementation such as family food packs, cooked foods, and
dry rations also decreased from 21.6% in 2020 to 11.9 in 2021, with a mean
duration of only twelve (12) days. Most children who did not receive
supplementary feeding were in high-risk areas. Vitamin A supplementation also
decreased from 65.4% in 2020 to 35.3% in 2021.

Aside from children, older adults were also highly affected. The quarantine may
have maintained people safe but presented a health risk due to a decline in physical
activity, increased risk of overeating, staying up late and not getting adequate sleep,
or even increasing tobacco and alcohol use. The lockdown has also led older

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Filipinos to have very limited or no access to healthcare services due to the

diversion of most healthcare efforts to respond to COVID 19 [2].

C. Hunger. The hunger incidence surveys conducted by the Social Weather Station
(SWS) showed increases in the percent of families who reported to suffer from
hunger since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The first quarter 2022 survey revealed
a that 12.2% of Filipinos or an estimated 3.1 million families experienced hunger
during the survey period.

D. Food security. Many overlapping dynamics that emerged during the pandemic
have affected food security and nutrition. These include disruptions to food supply
chains, loss of income and livelihoods, a widening of inequality, disruptions to social
protection programs, altered food environments, and uneven food prices [3].

Food availability. Due to lockdowns and quarantines, food mobility was hindered,
resulting in the consumers' unavailability of staple commodities [4]. To address this
concern, populations with access to the Internet, smart mobile phones, and a
steady income to purchase food have shifted from physical shopping to online
shopping. The disruption to the food supply chains affected food availability where
food commodities could not reach markets, creating low supply and high demand
and resulting in a higher price of some basic goods [5]. Households living in poverty
rely largely on food aid in food packs distributed by local governments and private
donors. An evaluation of these commonly distributed food items uncovers that a
diet does not contain sufficient nutrients to promote proper nutrition, eventually
putting low-income households at greater risk of acute and chronic disease [4].

Accessibility. Food accessibility refers to an individual's access to adequate

resources for acquiring appropriate foods for a nutritious diet.[5] Based on the 2020
RNAS, there are about 56.3% of Filipinos have problems accessing food due to
limited or no budget (22.1%), limited public transportation (21.6%), loss of job
(19.5%), or limited food stores in their respective areas (10.8%), and no other
members in the family to buy food (5.1%) [2].

Further studies by Palo, et al. showed that quarantine restrictions reduced business
operations and increased unemployment, leading to low income and limited food
access [6]. SWS surveys also reported increased adult joblessness, more Filipinos
who felt poorer and worse quality of life.

Food Utilization. There are two major influences on food utilization during the
pandemic: staying at home and stockpiling food due to grocery shopping
restrictions. Staying at home results in boredom associated with a greater energy
intake [7]. The stress from the constant anxiety also causes overeating, especially of
those "comfort foods" usually high in fats, sugars, and salt and less of fresh foods
like fruits and vegetables due to the limited access to grocery stores and wet

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markets. Reward and gratification were also physiologically associated with food
consumption, even overriding other signals of satiety and hunger [8]. However,
some studies have shown that as people stay at home, others still prefer fresh
foods, cooking at home daily, and making healthier food choices [9,10].

As many food and beverages outlets were prohibited from opening for dine-in
customers, COVID-19 has opened a significant market for food delivery services.
Online food delivery service refers to the Internet-based process of ordering food
via online platforms that connect customers with partner foodservice via their
websites or mobile applications. Reasons for opting for food deliveries primarily
involve avoiding human interaction to lessen the risk of getting the virus and the
convenience it offers its customers. Other motivations include a lack of time and
cooking skills to prepare meals.

However, the convenience brought by virtual food service deliveries is positively

associated with a high body mass index, thus a threat to health [11]. Consumption
of restaurant and takeaways foods was associated with a significant increase in the
daily energy, sugar, saturated fat, and sodium intake. Common food items were
burgers, pizzas, fries, fried chickens, and sugar-sweetened beverages. Frequent
consumption of these items has led to non-communicable diseases such as obesity,
type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers [12]. These meals were also a big contributor
to weight gain [13].

VI. What are the positive impacts brought by the pandemic?

The negative impact of COVID-19 on health and nutrition has been pervasive and
undeniably challenging to different sectors. However, there are still positive changes that
have been made by living with the virus that can be brought as we shift from pandemic to
endemic paradigm.

A. Innovation in service delivery and capacity building

1) Innovation in the mode of health and nutrition consultations, such as

telemedicine, paved the way to easier access for patients to healthcare,
especially those with physical disabilities.
2) Digital technology has also facilitated accelerated communication and greater
access to information and knowledge to keep people updated on health
protocols and standards.
3) Capacity building activities shifted from face-to-face trainings to online
trainings; webinars were also organized to deliver to a wider audience. The
technology allowed for recording which enabled participants to view the
webinars at their own pace and time.
4) Vertical and horizontal communication using various online applications
facilitated faster relay of messages.

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B. Attitude towards health and nutrition

As society changed, attitudes towards health and nutrition also shifted to boost
health and prevent getting the virus.
1) The World Health Organization emphasized the benefit of proper nutrition to
boost immunity and lessen the risk of severe infection amidst the pandemic
[14]. Thus, most people were moved to become more concerned and improve
their health.
2) Families have had more opportunities to spend time together, especially with
their children.
3) People became more health-conscious, leading them to develop healthy
habits
4) The importance of physical and mental fitness was brought to the forefront of
people's consciousness, giving them time and attention.
5) Food security was recognized as a primordial need of the country.
6) Home food gardening emerged, and many became "plantito/plantito" or plant
lovers and nurturers to connect with nature, a psychological experience, and
an interest, aside from providing additional source of food for the family.
7) Solidarity among neighbors was also seen as all citizens were asked to act
responsibly, following preventive measures to slow down and contain the
spread of the virus. One example was the emergence of community pantries
organized by volunteers who provided free food produce and products to
families in communities.
VII. How did the pandemic change delivery of nutrition and related interventions?

As a result of the enforcement of the quarantine measures nationwide starting in 2020,

the movement of food and necessities was affected, and the delivery of various health
and nutrition services. To ensure that these services will continuously be provided to
ensure the health and nutrition of the people, the Department of Health and other
government agencies have issued various guidelines on the delivery of essential nutrition
services. DOH issued Department Circular 2020-167 on the continuous provision of
essential health services during the COVID-19 pandemic including intrapartum and
newborn care especially promotion of exclusive breastfeeding, management of
malnutrition and micronutrient supplementation. Infection prevention and control
practices are to be observed. Similarly, the Department of Social Welfare and
Development issued Memorandum 12 Series 2020 for the continued implementation of
its supplementary feeding program despite the pandemic.

Below are examples of nutrition and related programs and how these were tweaked to
conform to quarantine guidelines.

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A. Micronutrient Supplementation Program

Due to limited food supply and availability, the risk of micronutrient deficiencies
went up during the pandemic. According to DOH Memorandum No. 2020 – 0237,
the delivery of micronutrient supplementation during the pandemic was maintained
following strict infection prevention and control measures. Based on the issued
guideline, the provision of Vitamin A capsules, multiple micronutrient powder
(MNP), ferrous solution (drops), iron with folic acid supplements, and iodized oil
capsules continued. However, the mass supplementation campaign was not
encouraged but integrated instead with the immunization activities, prenatal and
postpartum checkups, food pack deliveries, and home visits where strict health
protocols were implemented.

B. Dietary Supplementation Program

Through the Department of Education (DepED) sustained its support for health and
nutrition amidst the pandemic through the continuous implementation of the
School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP) during the school year of 2020-2021. Since
there were no face-to-face classes, the DepED issued Department Order No. 031 in
2021 which ordered the execution of SBFP to ensure the provision of nourishment
and help boost the children’s immune system. Instead of the hot meals served in
schools, healthy food products such as the Enhanced Nutribun, milk and fruits were
distributed to the children through the parents when they came for their child’s
modules in school or delivered to their homes by community volunteers.

DSWD likewise continued its supplementary feeding program for children aged 2-4
years in supervised neighborhood play (SNP) and 3-4 year in child development
centers (CDC) using alternative modes of feeding to the hot meals. Such modes
include the distribution of nutri-packs, nutribun with milk, easy-to-cook/prepare
alternative meals. However, nutrition assessment was not done to reduce risk of
exposing children to the infection.

C. Promotion of Proper Infant and Young Child Feeding Practices

Amidst the pandemic, healthcare providers continued to promote proper infant and
young child feeding practices to ensure exclusive breastfeeding or continue
breastfeeding because of the immune protective properties of the breastmilk. This
has also safeguarded the food security of infants and young children during the
ECQ.

To ensure the continued enforcement of Executive Order 51 or the Milk Code,

amidst reports of distribution of donations of formula milk, the Department of
Health (DOH) issued Department Memorandum No. 2020-0231 to provide
guidelines on the standardized regulation of donations related to Executive Order

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51. It reiterates that when exclusive breastfeeding is not possible, the alternatives
are wet-nursing or cross-nursing, relactation, expressed breastmilk fed through cup
or spoon, pasteurized donor milk from human milk banks. The last resort would be
for the local government units to use artificial feeding under supervision of health
and nutrition workers provided also that the LGU their own supply instead of
accepting donations. For infants and children older than 6 months, complementary
food from the family pot is encouraged instead of relying on artificial milk.

D. Management of Acute Malnutrition

The provision of the treatment for moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) and severe
acute malnutrition (SAM) using Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) among
infants and children six months to 5 years old continued to ensure the provision of
adequate nutrition. RUTF was provided for two weeks every month instead of
weekly to minimize the contact of the health care provider. Regular follow up were
also conducted using SMS, messenger, and other virtual platforms to properly
monitor the condition of the SAM and MAM patients.

E. Growth and Development Monitoring and Promotion

In many areas, protocols for monitoring of the growth and development of infants
and children were still done during health facility visits and community outreach
with strict compliance to health protocols. The conduct of OPT Plus also followed
the interim guidelines issued by DOH.

Health and nutrition workers and volunteers used MUAC tape instead of the
weighing scale and length/height board to minimize contact with the children. All
MUAC tapes were disinfected in accordance with DOH Department Memorandum
2020-0167 that states the guidelines for the proper handling of items used in health
facilities. Physical distancing was observed except in the actual taking of
measurements.

Growth monitoring and promotion activities continued and reported monthly for
children under 2 years old and those identified as malnourished based on OPT while
children 2 to under 5 years old, regardless of nutritional status were reported
quarterly. The MUAC measurement of children aged 6 to 23 months with normal
nutritional status and no bilateral pitting edema was measured monthly and
quarterly for the 24 to 59 months old.

Aside from the assessments, health care providers were also instructed to 1)
provide feedbacks to parents on their breastfeeding and complementary feeding
practices to maintain or improve the nutritional status, growth, and development of
children 2) emphasize the need to breastfeed to prevent malnutrition and 3)

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encourage parents to promote early childhood development through responsive

parenting.

F. Nutrition in emergencies

The NNC as Chair of the National Nutrition Cluster issued advisories to local
government units to provide guidance relative to COVID-19 and local nutrition
programs. (Full text of the advisories can be accessed from
https://www.nnc.gov.ph/covid19/nutrition-cluster-advisories)

Some of the guidelines include:

1. Promote the consumption of healthy diets following the Ten Kumainments to
boost the body’s immune system; engage in functional movement to increase
physical activity and prevent sedentary behaviors; and adequate sleep
2. Prioritize the nutritionally vulnerable groups and areas for assistance
3. Continued breastfeeding including by mothers who are suspected to have
COVID-19 following health protocols
4. Family food packs should contain age-appropriate and culturally appropriate,
clean and nutritious food items including fresh vegetables and fruits.
5. LGUs to conduct an inventory of prepositioned nutrition commodities
(nutrient supplements such as Vitamin A capsules, micronutrient powder
sachets, lipid-based nutrient supplements such as ready-to-use therapeutic
foods (RUTF) and ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF), and
anthropometric measuring tools).

VIII. How is “new normal” defined?

After living for more than two years with restrictive measures and still with the threat of
COVID-19, the country is slowly transitioning to the new normal of living and adaptation.
Although no one definition exists, the new normal in the general context is characterized
by the need to observe the social distance, strict personal hygiene, and other sanitation
protocols. Wearing masks, bringing hand sanitizers and alcohol, and frequent washing of
hands will continue to be the norm. Though characterized by uncertainty and volatility,
the policies and standards for health will be the cornerstone during the new normal to
achieve a "steady state of low-level or no transmission."

Based on the "We Recover as One" report of the Interagency Task Force for the
Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases – Technical Working Group for Anticipatory
and Forward Planning (IATF – TWG for AFP), the following characteristics describe the
new normal through the lens of nutrition [15]:

1. Ensuring the availability, accessibility, and affordability of food to meet the

nutritional requirement of the people will be more emphasized. Increased reliance

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on online/digital transactions for food commodities will continue even in the post-
ECQ scenario.
2. Consumers are now more health-conscious and selective about what they eat to
boost their immune systems, thus increasing the demand for safe and nutritious
food.
3. Emphasis is focused on the interrelationship between public health and the
environment.
4. Given the importance of a steady food supply, there will be greater interest in urban
agriculture, backyard/household gardening, and community farming.
5. The improvement in the health awareness of the people will increase the demand
for health services.

Executive Order 166 was issued on 21 March 2022 adopting the Ten-Point Agenda to
accelerate and sustain economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The agenda
includes among others, strengthening healthcare capacity and the development of a
comprehensive pandemic response framework to ensure resilience against future
pandemics and strengthening health and social protection systems.

IX. What is the link between nutrition and resilience for a better new normal?

Resilience can be defined as “the ability of people, households, communities, countries,

and systems to mitigate, adapt to and recover from shocks and stresses in a manner that
reduces chronic vulnerability and facilitates inclusive growth” from USAID. [16].

Nutrition and resilience are strongly interlinked with nutrition as both an input to and an
outcome of strengthened resilience [17]. Nutrition is considered an input to resilience as
well-nourished individuals can work harder, have greater physical reserve and nutrition
security, and can withstand stress. On the contrary, households most affected by pressure
and various threats face a greater risk of malnutrition [18].

Nutrition and resilience are co-dependent and mutually reinforcing [16]. Integrating
resilience thinking to nutrition programming and vice versa would give greater benefits
[19]. On the other hand, improving the resilience of a country can also address factors
affecting malnutrition, thus, improved resilience means improved nutrition.

The Philippines is one of the world's most vulnerable countries to natural disasters given
its location along the Pacific Ring of Fire. In fact, Philippines ranked third in the 2018
World Risk Index of most disaster-prone countries in the world. The country has
experienced all forms of disasters such as typhoons, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions,
armed conflict, including the COVID- 19 pandemic. Over the long course of history dealing
with natural disasters and crises, Filipinos are learning to be resilient. But how can
advancing the absorptive, adaptive, and transformative capacity of the Filipino resilience
help to improve nutrition situation? Maximizing the nutritional impact of resilience

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programming will involve resilience-building programs and policies that will also address
and prevent all forms of malnutrition. [20]

BOX STORY
BUILDING FOOD AND NUTRITION RESILIENCE IN
QUEZON CITY
Hailed as the richest city in 2021, Quezon City To enhance food system resilience in the
still battles with widespread hunger and medium-to-long term, Mayor Belmonte
malnutrition. The city’s top nutrition concern established Quezon City’s Food Security Task
lies among school age children and adolescents Force (QC-FSTF) under Executive Order No. 32,
with reported high number of overweight, with the goal of addressing food insecurity,
obesity and hidden hunger. This was attributed promoting the consumption of nutritious food,
to the shift towards unhealthy food and built complementing, and creating livelihoods, and
environments, a lack of affordability for building climate resilience.
nutritious foods, fast-paced urban lifestyles,
and sedentary behaviors. Affordability, food The two pillars of QC-FSTF’s initiatives were
knowledge and skills are also considered major urban agriculture that focus on the city’s ability
barriers. to produce food and food trade and processing to
create an enabling environment. The QC-FSTF
The city issued the Anti-Junk Food and Sugary worked on developing four models of urban
Drinks Ordinance which bans the marketing and agriculture in the city: household gardens,
trade of unhealthy food around schools. It has community gardens and farms, institutional
also become a signatory of the Good Food Cities gardens, and commercial farms.
Declaration alongside 13 other cities across the
globe. By bringing back nature in the city, urban
agriculture can serve as entry point to achieve
Although Sustainable Development Affairs Unit sustained food security and nutrition. Four key
was established in 2019 through Executive factors fueled the efforts of Quezon City to
Order no. 35 under Mayor Ma. Josefina Tanya improve its food system specifically strong-willed
“Joy” Belmonte to organize programs leadership, integrated programming to address
implementing high impact, multi-stakeholders complexity, partnerships beyond government
programs to achieve the Sustainable departments and strong narrative on equitable
Development Goals (SDGs), the growing city and sustainable food systems. With these efforts,
was not spared from the overwhelming impact Quezon City reshaped its pathways and shift
and pressure of the COVID-19 pandemic. consumption habits towards a “new normal” to
achieve a healthier, inclusive, more resilient, and
Aside from providing food relief to the most sustainable food system.
vulnerable, the city established Community
Mart app and Fresh Marker on Wheels program With these innovations, Quezon City is
to maintain the food value chain from farm to considered an emerging champion of the global
market for the short-term response. food systems agenda.

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Source: Building Food and Nutrition Resilience in Quezon City: Case Study on Integrated Food Systems. UNICEF,
EAT and Quezon City. Accessed from: https://www.unicef.org/documents/building-food-and-nutrition-
resilience-quezon-city-case-study-integrated-food-systems

X. What do we aim for nutrition in the new normal?

A. Raise awareness on the importance of nutrition in building resilience. The

relationship of nutrition and resilience is unquestionable. A food and nutrition
secured population is more resilient in times of disaster as the people can access
foods that meet nutritional requirements and adapt to stress without applying
negative nutritional coping strategies.

B. Better design, delivery, and scaling up of nutrition interventions. The occurrence

of disasters and emergencies are inevitable. It affects all aspects of life including the
delivery of health and nutrition services. With this disruption, evaluation, and re-
planning on how nutrition intervention can be delivered amidst any emergency
should be done to continue implementation and ensure that the nutritional needs
of the population will be met.

C. Promote adoption of health-enhancing nutrition behaviors including consumption

of sustainable healthy diets. The importance of good nutrition was highlighted as
the world battles the pandemic. Aside from standard health protocol, it was one of
the best ways to keep one self-free from the virus or at least decrease the risk of
severe infection. Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, and
dairy, reducing sugar and salt intake, cutting back on high fat foods and staying
hydrated were some on the dietary recommendations during the quarantine
season.

D. Increased support in food and nutrition security, especially the most vulnerable.
As the country transition to a new normal together with a new administration,
different opportunities to support food and nutrition security arises. The Mandanas-
Garcia ruling taking effect this year will also allow local government to create
program for the community to address pressing nutritional problems especially of
the vulnerable groups.

E. Accelerate hunger-mitigation interventions. With or without the presence of the

pandemic, it is essential to eradicate hunger and all forms of malnutrition as these
are obstacles to a healthy growth and development and may cause irreversible
damage to individuals. Eradicating hunger and malnutrition will also lead to
improved children and adult nutrition that will further lead to economic benefits
such as increased productivity and earnings.

F. Prevention and Management of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). Non-

communicable diseases or chronic diseases affects millions of people each year and

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of primary concern in terms of health. The main types of NCD includes

cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and stroke, chronic respiratory
diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma, diabetes, and
cancer. NCDs kill 41 million people each year, equivalent to 71% of all deaths
globally as a result of a combination of genetic, physiological, environmental and
behavioral factors [21] People of all ages are at risk of NCDs but can be prevented
by avoiding risk factors such as tobacco and alcohol use, unhealthy diet and physical
inactivity that all increase the risk of NCDs.

XI. What are the opportunities for nutrition in the new normal?

A. Advocacy under new leadership at the national and local levels

As the new administration starts in July both at the national and local levels and
with the transition of the country from the pandemic to endemic mode, elected
officials are called upon to exercise their powers to ensure building back better for
nutrition and to prioritize nutrition as a crucial factor in resilience-building.

B. Full devolution under Executive Order No. 138

The Executive Order No. 138 dated June 2, 2021, also known as "Full Devolution of
the Certain functions of the Executive Committee Branch to Local Government
Units, Creation of a Committee on Devolution and for other Purposes," states that
there will be a significant increase in the share of the local government units (LGUs)
from the internal revenue allotment (IRA) starting Fiscal Year 2022. Section 1 of the
Executive Order (EO) affirms the commitment of the national government to the
decentralization in the constitution and relevant laws to enable the LGUs to
increase productivity and employment, promote local growth and pursue their
plans for nutrition and other programs [22].

As the Mandanas-Garcia Ruling takes effect, internal revenue allotment (IRA) shares
of the LGUs will have a 27.61% increase from their present 40% share from the
national internal revenue taxes collected by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).
With the full implementation of the Supreme Court ruling, local government units
are expected to strengthen the integration of nutrition specific and nutrition
sensitive program to its local nutrition action plan and address the gaps and
challenges of PPAN implementation. The additional budget and reduced restrictions
on personnel staffing can support the establishment of nutrition offices with
adequate staff to ensure that the nutrition programs are carried out. Increasing the
workforce and financial resources for nutrition and intersectoral collaboration will
be a key factor for improved nutrition performance.

C. Development of successor PPAN for 2023-2028 and its operationalization at the

local level through local nutrition action plans

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The National Nutrition Council (NNC) is expected to adopt the Philippine Plan of
Action for Nutrition (PPAN) for 2023-2028 by the latter part of 2022. The PPAN
serves as the country's blueprint for achieving nutritional adequacies for all Filipinos
and is a component of the Philippine Development Plan. The formulation of the
PPAN shall consider resilience building strategies to improve food and nutrition
security and end all forms of malnutrition.

Local government units are expected to prepare three-year local nutrition action
plans of LNAPs that are aligned to the new PPAN. The LNAP shall be integrated in
the executive legislative agenda, local development plan and annual investment
plans [23]

XII. What are the roles of stakeholders to improve nutrition for a better new normal?

A. National government agencies

1) Commit to actions toward eliminating malnutrition and building back better
moving forward to the new normal
2) Integrate nutrition in the development of resilience-building programs, policy,
and framework for disaster risk management
3) Develop and strengthen policies and programs on scaling up nutrition
interventions and highlight importance of nutrition in building resiliency
4) Invest in nutrition through the inclusion of nutrition programs in the national
annual budget, operational plans, and human resources
5) Include nutrition lens in development of resilience-building programs and
policies
6) Establish more nutrition-sensitive programs to address fundamental and
underlying causes of malnutrition
7) Prioritize nutritionally vulnerable groups as beneficiaries in nutrition specific
and nutrition-sensitive government programs.

B. Local government units

1) Formulate and implement local nutrition action plans that align with the PPAN
2023-2028
2) Increase support to nutrition programs and their implementation taking in
considerations changes in the delivery brought by the pandemic
3) Improve access to nutrition and related programs in far-flung areas,
geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas, urban poor, and
resettlement areas.

C. Private sector
1) Modify budget and plans to include nutrition-related activities and services to
employees and clientele

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2) Work with government to fill the gap in terms of delivery of nutrition services
and intervention

D. Media
1) Develop materials for information, education, and communication of nutrition
messages to the public
2) Promote good and healthy nutrition practices in commonly consumed media
like film and television, as well as digital media
3) Encourage the public to participate in national and local health and nutrition
programs
4) Stop calling for donations of milk formula contrary to the Milk Code.

E. Civil society
1) Advocate for increased attention to food and nutrition security
2) Empower communities to support programs for the prevention of
malnutrition and scaling up nutrition in the new normal
3) Work with the government in strengthening efforts to address malnutrition
4) Widen the reach of nutrition programs to areas with less access to health and
nutrition programs
5) Join the Scaling Up Nutrition Civil Society Alliance.

F. Academe
1) Conduct webinars, online fora, and other activities to increase awareness on
malnutrition prevention and importance of nutrition in recovery
2) Involve school and university constituents in participation in malnutrition
reduction and promotion nutrition programs
3) Include extension programs that promote good nutrition to the public
4) Improve information dissemination on nutrition in the curricula
5) Mobilize school-based groups and student organizations in their initiatives on
the promotion of good nutrition
6) Join the Scaling Up Nutrition Academe Network.

G. Individuals and families

1) Eat a healthy and well-balanced diet using the Pinggang Pinoy as guide
2) Increase the consumption of foods rich in Vitamins A, C, E, B6 and B12 such as
citrus and dark green leafy vegetables
3) Maintain an active lifestyle
4) Avoid smoking, alcohol, and drugs
5) Drink 8-10 glasses of water every day and avoid sugary drinks.

XIII. What are ways to support Nutrition Month?

The Nutrition Month campaign is a collective effort to promote good nutrition and
disseminate information moving to the new normal. Everyone is invited to participate in

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the campaign to reach broader audience. Here are some ways for stakeholders to
promote the key messages of Nutrition Month:

A. Disseminate information about Nutrition Month by hanging streamers or posting

banners in websites; billboards and other signages in building facades or in high
foot traffic areas
B. Maximize the use of social media by uploading or creating posts on topics
related to Nutrition Month e.g., giving messages of support, sharing photos of
past NM activities, short talks on nutrition and the like.
C. Participate in Nutrition Month activities of the NNC, other agencies, workplace,
schools and your local government unit or community. Check the social media
sites for more information. Some of these activities are:

• National Nutrition Month Kick-off, 01 July

• Regional Nutrition Month Launch
• Food and Nutrition Research Seminar Series, July 5-8
• Philippine Association of Nutrition Convention, 26-27 July
• DOH (HFDB) and DOH League of RNDs Inc. Advocacy Webinar, 20-21 July
• National Nutrition Month Culminating Activity, 29 July

D. Conduct webinars and online fora for the public recognizing the importance of
nutrition in building resilience and recovery from the pandemic; as well as on
proper nutrition
E. Conduct special events that get people moving such as motorcade, fun run,
cycling, parade (using costumes made of food) and sporting events tweaked to
highlight nutrition messages
F. Conduct drills to help people become prepared for emergencies as July is also
National Disaster Awareness Month
G. Sharpen nutrition knowledge through conduct of quiz bees on nutrition
especially among students and even parents
H. Highlight special talents by having various contests, eg. Healthy baby, healthy
mommy; poster-making; original jingle, song, or dance contests; cooking
demonstrations and contests; local concert
I. Use visuals such as having installations of various foods or symbols for nutrition,
painting murals on walls/fences along major streets; exhibits showcasing good
practices on nutrition programs
J. Generate resources for community nutrition programs through fund-raising
events.

For queries or suggestions, please contact

NATIONAL NUTRITION COUNCIL
Nutrition Building, 2332 Chino Roces Avenue Extension, Taguig City
(632) 8843-0142
http://www.nnc.gov.ph
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References:
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[15] Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases – Technical
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