BETTER DAYS
2024 marks the 50th year Nutrition Month is being celebrated in the Philippines. It was in 1974, during the administration of then President Ferdinand Marcos that the celebration of Nutrition Month started by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 491, s. 1974, which also paved the way for the creation of the National Nutrition Council (NNC). PD 491 designated July as Nutrition Month for the purpose of creating greater awareness among Filipinos on the importance of nutrition. For the 50th Nutrition Month, the NNC has chosen the theme: “Sa Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) Sama-Sama sa Nutrisyong Sapat Para sa Lahat.”
Indeed, the entire nation must be involved in addressing the serious problem of malnutrition— be it undernutrition, overweight and obesity, and micronutrient deficiency in order to ensure the proper development of children, enhancing productivity during adulthood and preventing individuals of all ages from developing chronic diseases such as heart ailments and diabetes.
Malnutrition remains a serious concern in the country and undernutrition in particular is something that we have been striving to address for over two decades as a legislator. Currently, close to 30 percent of children under the age of five are affected by stunting or impaired growth and development caused primarily by poor nutrition. Simply put, stunting refers to children who are too short for their age. The World Health Organization notes that stunting, particularly in the first 1,000 days from conception until the age of two, greatly impacts the life of a child. They suffer from poor cognition and educational performance, an increased risk of nutrition-related chronic diseases in adult life, and lost productivity.
Nutrition International’s estimates the Philippines could lose as much as $48 billion or about ₱2.3 trillion in productivity by 2030 due to child stunting. The National Nutrition Council says the country could avoid around $1 billion in productivity losses by reducing the prevalence of low birth weight among infants by 30 percent, from 14.5 percent in 2017 to 10.2 percent in 2025, and further to 8.6 percent by 2028. Under the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) 2023-2028 developed by the National Nutrition Council, the goal is to reduce the magnitude of stunted children under five years old by 50 percent to 2,008,260 in 2030 from the 2013 levels of 4,016,520.
One of the laws that we authored, Republic Act 11148 or the Kalusugan ng Mag-Nanay Act (First 1,000 Days Law), directly addresses malnutrition among children by establishing a comprehensive children’s health and nutrition program. The law institutes the First 1,000 Days program at the local government unit level to cater to the health and nutrition of mothers and their children from conception up to 1,000 days. The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), of which I am a commissioner, has commended the law and other specific interventions done over the years to address malnutrition and stunting.
Another law that aims to ensure infants get the proper nutrition and long-term benefits is Republic Act 11210 or the 105-Day Expanded Maternity Leave Law, which we co-authored and sponsored in the Senate. The law considers both the health of the child and the mother. Children get the nutrients that they need in the crucial first six months of their lives and they become less prone to diseases even during adulthood. For mothers, the extended maternity leave benefit allows them to focus on caring and bonding with their newborns and to recover properly from their pregnancies. My father, the former Senate President Edgardo Angara, was the principal author of Republic Act 7600 or the Rooming-In and Breastfeeding Act of 1992.
In our last year handling the crafting of our country’s national budget as chairman of the Committee on Finance, we also saw to it that the necessary interventions were in place to support the efforts to ensure the proper development of our children, particularly those who are among most vulnerable in our society. Under the 2024 General Appropriations Act, we placed ₱19 million under the Early Childhood Care and Development program for the training of child development workers and teachers. This is based on the recommendation of EDCOM 2 to professionalize the child development workers who are tasked to ensure children aged zero to four get the full range of health, nutrition, and early education in their respective communities.
There is also ₱300 million under the Department of Health (DOH) to cover nutritionally-at-risk mothers currently not covered by the DOH-World Bank Philippine Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Project. This is again part of the various programs and packages that seek to address the nutritional requirements of mothers and their children and to improve key behaviors and practices known to reduce stunting among children.
A lot more has to be done to address malnutrition among children. Very good laws and programs are already in place but we must all recognize the problems and work hand-in-hand towards providing our children with a strong foundation for healthy living and a productive future. ([email protected]| Facebook, Twitter & Instagram: @sonnyangara)
(Senator Sonny Angara has been in public service for 20 years — nine years as representative of the lone district of Aurora, and 11 as Senator. He has authored, co-authored, and sponsored more than 330 laws. He is currently serving his second term in the Senate.)