ILOILO – The Provincial Health Office (PHO) is advancing a holistic, or whole-province, approach to transform Iloilo into a “malnutrition-free province”.
While no specific timeline has been set, the provincial government is actively collaborating with partners and stakeholders to move towards this goal.
This was highlighted during the kick-off of the Nutrition Month celebration on July 8, under the theme Sa PPAN: Sama-sama sa Nutrisyong Sapat Para sa Lahat! (Through PPAN, let’s collaborate on nutrition security for all!).
During the event, a Nutrition Month pledge was signed to support the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) 2023-2028, aimed at addressing child stunting, overweight, obesity, and persistent food insecurity among Filipinos.
Recent Iloilo data showed a decline in malnutrition rates among children aged zero to 59 months from 2019 to 2023, with underweight, wasting, stunting, and overweight percentages all decreasing over the years.
Dr. Maria Socorro Colmenares-Quiñon, PHO head, emphasized addressing malnutrition in achieving the development goals set by Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. for a robust, progressive, globally competitive, and resilient Iloilo.
“The vision will not be realized if we continue to have malnourished children in the province. Malnutrition not only leads to poverty but also stunts children from poor families, impacting their future potential,” said Quiñon.
Provincial Administrator Dr. Raul Banias linked the state of nutrition directly to educational outcomes, citing the detrimental effects of malnutrition on children’s learning abilities.
“We see the impact of malnutrition on the education status of our children, with about 80 percent in Grade 3 unable to read. The primary reason for dropping out of school is still hunger and poverty,” Banias explained.
Dr. Wendel Marcelo, PHO Provincial Nutrition Action Officer, highlighted the need for continued support from local chief executives of the 43 LGUs in Iloilo to improve the malnutrition status further./PN
