Malnutrition cases among children younger than five years old in Negros Oriental have declined from 2021 to 2025.
During a recent Kapihan sa PIA forum, Dr. Liland Estacion, provincial health officer and Provincial Nutrition Committee (PNC) action officer, said the prevalence of underweight, or low weight for age, among children declined from 5.2 percent to 4.8 percent in 2025.
Stunting (too short for age) decreased from 10.6 percent to 9.2 percent, and wasting (acute weight loss) improved from 3.4 percent to two percent, based on the province’s Operation Timbang Plus report.
Estacion attributed the decrease to the province’s campaign focusing on the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, during which mothers are encouraged to breastfeed and discouraged from using infant formula.
“This nutrition status of the province reflects the collective efforts of our LGUs, health workers, nutrition stakeholders, among others. While we celebrate the gains, we also recognize that our work is far from over,” Estacion said.
The province also hopes to win the Green Banner Award for the third time.
The National Nutrition Council (NNC) gives the award to local government units (LGUs) for exemplary performance and compliance in managing local nutrition programs.
Under this year’s theme, “Nutrisyon at Kalikasan, Ating Pangalagaan!”, the PNC introduced new approaches, including a video campaign for senior high school students.
It encourages them to become advocates of the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) by creating videos that promote proper nutrition and environmental stewardship.
In support of the provincial nutrition program, Provincial Agriculturist Manny Caduyac said the province has implemented the Gulayan at Palaisdaan para sa Kabataan (GPAK) program since 2005.
Some 86 public schools maintain GPAK backyard vegetable gardens that produce fresh vegetables for schoolchildren’s supplemental feeding program.
“We extended and introduced to parents through PTAs this community-based GPAK to have their backyard vegetable garden and grow their own nutritious food supply for the family,” Caduyac said.
The 52nd National Nutrition Month was launched in Dumaguete City July 1, on the theme “Sa PPAN: Sama-sama sa Nutrisyong Sapat Para sa Lahat!” and the sub-theme “Nutrisyon at Kalikasan, Ating Pangalagaan!”
Government officials at the launch called for greater collaboration in addressing the country’s nutrition and environmental challenges.
“The challenges of climate change and food insecurity continue to affect the nutritional well-being of many Filipinos,” Rosalina Bascao, NNC officer-in-charge, said during the launch. “Protecting our environment is no longer just an ecological responsibility — it is a nutrition imperative.” | PIA
