CEBU, Philippines — As the Philippines is experiencing food insecurity wherein 68.6 percent of Filipinos or about 75.2 million cannot afford a healthy diet in 2020, the National Nutrition Council-7 recently announced that for this year’s Nutrition Month campaign it carries the theme, “Healthy Diet Gawing Affordable For All.”
The 2023 Nutrition Month campaign aims to raise awareness on supporting Filipinos improve access to affordable healthy diets to reduce malnutrition, improve food security, health and quality of life.
The campaign will also help make people distinguish between nutritious and unhealthy food using a variety of observations to make healthier eating choices.
The campaign also urges the food industry, which includes producers, distributors, retailers, and restaurants, to offer healthier food options and the consumers to demand for healthier food.
In order to raise Filipino’s knowledge of the importance of nutrition, Presidential Decree 491 was signed. It also mandates the nutrition month to be observed every July each year. According to the said law, the NNC shall coordinate the activities of this annual national campaign.
The Nutrition Month celebration has been an institutionalized activity overtime by local government entities, educational institutions and other stakeholders. The campaign’s nutrition goal is to raise public awareness about the value of nutrition, focusing on a theme that will respond to the current nutrition challenge the country is facing.
NNC-7 said that the passage of national and local legislation and policies to provide a supportive environment for healthy eating is another crucial component of nutrition month observance.
This means that these legislative activities support in making healthy foods inexpensive and accessible to individuals from all socioeconomic backgrounds. —/GMR (FREEMAN)
ILOILO CITY (PIA) – – The province of Guimaras will host the launching activity for the 2023 Nutrition Month celebration in Western Visayas this coming July 6.
July has been designated as Nutrition Month in the country via Presidential Decree 491 in 1974 to create greater awareness on the importance of nutrition among Filipinos.
National Nutrition Council (NNC) 6 OIC Regional Program Coordinator Sheryl Sedantes said there are already activities organized to mark the regional launching in the province of Guimaras for the month-long celebration with the theme “Healthy Diet gawing affordable For All”.
According to Sedantes, it was the NNC Technical Committee that approved the theme for this year’s Nutrition Month Campaign on the need to support efforts that will enable Filipinos to have greater access to healthy, safe and affordable food.
She emphasized the importance of making healthy food accessible and inexpensive to all Filipinos to be able to get the required daily dietary intake needed to sustain physical activity and good health.
Sedantes likewise called on food producers, legislators, parents and other stakeholders to do their share to make these healthy and nutritious foods affordable and accessible to all.
The Expanded National Nutrition Survey in 2021 showed that 68% or 75.2 million Filipinos cannot afford a healthy diet in 2022. The same survey also showed that last year, 2% or 5.3 million Filipinos with severe food insecurity; 33.4 % or about 42 million with moderate food insecurity; and 35% were unable to eat healthy and nutritious food.
In Western Visayas, NNC 6, tasked to spearhead the Nutrition Month every year, involves the local government units in the celebration as they have direct contact with the public. The regional launch is brought to different local government units for residents to witness and participate in the various nutrition related activities that will be carried out.
Sedantes said the launching event in Guimaras will be highlighted by a cooking demo using the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) – Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) recipes. This will be participated in by the NNC 6 nutritionists and Barangay Nutrition Scholars and will be attended by pregnant and lactating women, as well as parents/caregivers with children aged 0 to 5 years old.
A Vegetable/Fresh Produce Expo will also be held during the day to showcase and bring safe and quality products to make them more affordable to Guimarasnons. (AAL/LAF/PIA6 Iloilo)
reference: https://www.philstar.com
https://pia.gov.ph/