ILOILO – Nearly 39,000 children below five years old in Western Visayas suffered from stunting, wasting, or excess weight in 2025, exposing the persistent effects of poverty, inadequate diets and limited access to nutrition services across the region.
The 2025 Nutrition Situation Report for Region 6 showed that 38,832, or 6.4 percent, of the 618,735 children aged zero to 59 months who were assessed had some form of malnutrition, according to the National Nutrition Council (NNC) Region 6.
“Kon lantawon naton sa different indicators, it’s low, but as we translate that to actual numbers, thousands na siya gali,” said Jasmine Kate Laserna, Project Development Officer I of NNC-6, in an interview with Panay News.
Of the affected children, 22,413, or 3.7 percent, were stunted, meaning they had low height for their age due to chronic malnutrition.
The 2025 stunting rate was lower than the 4.08 percent recorded in 2024, 4.49 percent in 2023, 5.15 percent in 2022, 6.85 percent in 2021 and 7.13 percent in 2020.
Another 3,874 children, or 0.6 percent, were wasted, an acute form of malnutrition characterized by low weight for height.
The wasting rate also declined from 0.83 percent in 2024, 1.11 percent in 2023, 1.41 percent in 2022, 1.85 percent in 2021 and two percent in 2020.
However, overweight and obesity affected 12,545 children, or 2.1 percent. The figure increased from 1.65 percent in 2024, 1.79 percent in 2023 and 2.01 percent in 2022, although it remained below the 2.62 percent posted in 2021 and 2.41 percent in 2020.
Despite the five-year decline in stunting and wasting, the NNC-6 said the actual number of affected children remained a serious public health concern.
Antique recorded the highest stunting prevalence among the provinces at 9.55 percent, followed by Guimaras at 4.30 percent, Negros Occidental at 4.16 percent, Iloilo at 3.93 percent, Aklan at 3.79 percent and Capiz at 1.90 percent.
Antique also posted the highest wasting rate at 1.27 percent, followed by Aklan at 0.91 percent, Iloilo at 0.70 percent, Negros Occidental at 0.59 percent, Guimaras at 0.54 percent and Capiz at 0.20 percent.
“Pila na gid ka years, ang province of Antique ang naga-top. Even before, ga-two digits sila, around 15% or more. But, now, it’s good nga makit-an namon ang improvement, but gradual lang siya,” Laserna stressed.
Laserna said budget constraints have prevented some nutrition initiatives in Antique from being fully implemented, particularly because of the province’s wide coverage.
“More sa pag-budget gid. Amo na ang usual concern nga gina-raise,” Laserna added.
“Apart from the Department of Education, ang LGUs may ara man supplementary feeding programs. Depende sa community if consistent ang ila feeding,” she added.
Meanwhile, Guimaras registered the highest prevalence of overweight and obesity at 2.93 percent. It was followed by Antique at 2.59 percent, Aklan at 1.93 percent, Iloilo at 1.90 percent, Capiz at 1.86 percent and Negros Occidental at 1.20 percent.
Laserna stressed that addressing malnutrition requires cooperation among government agencies, local government units (LGUs), communities and families.
“We focus on implementing projects in partnership with various agencies and entities, aligning our efforts with the guidelines defined in the PPAN 2023–2028.The NNC is charged with formulating national policies, monitoring programs, and ensuring that nutrition initiatives align with overarching goals for public health,” Laserna said.
Under the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition 2023–2028, the NNC promotes healthier diets, proper nutrition practices, wider access to quality nutrition services, and stronger governance, coordination, planning and funding among LGUs.
Its programs include Operation Timbang Plus, the Barangay Nutrition Scholar Program, Tutok Kainan Dietary Supplementation Program, First 1,000 Days advocacy, Nutrition Shepherding and the Learning Hubs for Enhanced and Revitalized Nutrition.
Operation Timbang Plus, conducted in barangays from January to March each year, assesses the growth and nutritional condition of children aged zero to 59 months.
Negros Occidental registered the highest assessment coverage at 83.60 percent, followed by Capiz at 79.80 percent, Guimaras at 79.40 percent, Iloilo at 77.90 percent, Antique at 75.50 percent and Aklan at 72.20 percent.
Laserna said nutrition advocacy must begin in the home because families directly determine the food children receive. She also acknowledged that poverty can reduce the effect of feeding interventions because food intended for one child may have to be shared among several family members.
She said malnutrition must be confronted beyond the immediate question of whether a child has enough food.
“That’s why, when we try to solve cases of malnutrition, we don’t just look at it at the surface level, but we try to find out ano ang mga root causes. Indi lang food but mga socioeconomic factors, income levels, climate change, environmental issues,” said Laserna./PN
