PH Gov’t, civil society seek global backings to fight hunger and undernutrition ASEC Maria-Bernardita Flores of the Department of Health announces government intent to register with the global SUN Movement (R photo); the National Nutrition Council governing board representatives from various sectors (below photo) pose a unity stance after the ceremonial commitment signing and support statements to collectively work to end hunger and undernutrition through the backings of global support through the SUN.
Manila Hotel, Philippines- More than an annual celebration, this year’s national nutrition month launch became an amplified call to muscle high level leadership, and usher in backings of the global community to solve one of the country’s gargantuan, historic foe- hunger and undernutrition. “We start the signifying of the Philippine registration to the SUN (Scaling Up Nutrition) movement,” announces Maria-Bernardita T. Flores, Assistant Secretary of Health and Executive Director of the National Nutrition Council (NNC), referring to the global movement that will strengthen and align various nutrition-focused efforts in the country. Scaling Up Nutrition is a global movement of governments, civil society, the United Nations, donors, businesses and researchers partnering in a collective effort to improve nutrition, particularly for pregnant women and children under two, who are the most vulnerable. “Forty percent of the Philippine population are children and this is where strategic investment should be focused on,” says Filomena Portales, World Vision interim National Director who was also representing the coalition of non-government organizations for nutrition KAIN, or the Koalisyon para Alagaan at Isalba ang Nutrisyon. Portales added that, “when we address undernutrition, we address their (children’s) future productivty.” The KAIN Coalition is a staunch partner of the NNC, the highest policymaking and coordinating body on nutrition in the country, in pushing the Philippine government to commit to the SUN Movement. 1
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Gov’t, civil society seek global backings
to fight hunger and undernutrition The Koalisyon para Alagaan at Isalba ang Nutrisyon or KAIN Coalition (R photo) which called for a more unified and stronger nutrition agenda of the Philippines, one strategy of which is by joining SUN is composed of 12 non-government organizations– Action Against Hunger Int’l, Adventist Development and Relief Agency, Child Fund Int’l, ERDA Dev’t Foundation, Gems Heart Outreach Dev’t, Hellen Keller Int’l, International Institute of Rural Reconstruction, NORFIL Foundation, Nutrition Foundation of the Philippines, Plan Int’l, Save the Children Int’l, and World Vision Dev’t Foundation.
“Like the 40 countries that signed up and now benefitting from the gains, the membership can bring in global partners to support the country and also high level support to the scaling up nutrition action,” added ASEC Flores on the value that SUN could add to eradicating hunger and nutrition problems. “The Philippine commitment to the SUN Movement will indeed unify and therefore make our resolve stronger so that no children in the Philipines wil ever be undernourished,” said Catherine Seco of Plan International, stating the KAIN coalition’s support to the government’s membership to the global movement. The KAIN representative added that despite the government’s efforts to address hunger and undernutrition, these are complex problems that cannot be solved single-handedly, a point earlier made by ASEC Flores. Both government and non-goverment representatives also mutually pointed out that working together is the ideal way to go, and this can be forged further through the SUN Movement. “KAIN members can leverage on their programming so they can complement government in terms of addressing issues on undernutrition,” added World Vision’s Portales, elaborating on the individual and unified strength of non-government organizations considering their dedicated work and resources for nutrition, and global support from their networks. And to ensure action on the commitments made to respond to hunger and undernutrition, NNC intends to lobby the country’s nutrition agenda during national leaders’ executive committee meetings so that nutrition will be an integral part of the actions of various sectors. These forms of support from various sectors are intended to become part of the resolutions as the government commits to the SUN Movement. The Philippines is one of the 36 high-burden countries for undernutrition. One in every 5 children below the age of five is underweight and 1 in 3 is chronically undernourished. Undernourished children are more likely to die before the age of five, and those who survive are more likely to suffer from lifelong illnesses, poor school performance, and consequently, lower productivity in adult life.
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