National Nutrition Council Executive Director Azucena Dayanghirang challenges barangay captains and other members of the barangay nutrition committees to be nutrition champions, citing their vital role in the nutrition and development of their communities. (Marie Joy S. Carbungco/PIA 3)
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — National Nutrition Council (NNC) challenged barangay captains and other members of the barangay nutrition committees (BNC) to be nutrition champions, citing their vital role in the nutrition and development of their communities.
Health Assistant Secretary and NNC Executive Director Azucena Dayanghirang said the activity is a testament of the barangay captains’ commitment to their constituents to improve their nutritional status.
“As you may observe in your barangay, there are still many children who are malnourished. Many families suffer from hunger, and more so now because of the pandemic. Hunger and malnutrition hinder full development and perpetuate the cycle of poverty. That is why we seek to regain your commitment to nutrition,” she said.
The NNC official added that with the full devolution starting in 2022, local government units will fully implement delivery of health, nutrition, and social services with the additional funds they will receive by virtue of the Mandanas-Garcia Ruling.
Also, Dayanghirang said that improving the nutrition of the people is also giving them hope because better nutrition leads to children who are taller, more intelligent, with improved social adaptation, and likely to have higher productivity and better incomes to uplift their lives.
With this, she said it is expected that barangay captains take the lead in convening the BNC members and strategize on how to end malnutrition by formulating their own barangay nutrition action plan (BNAP) that it is aligned with the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN).
“We want the BNAP to be well planned and funded to prevent and address malnutrition, especially child stunting. When a child is stunted in the first two years, it is irreversible and will affect the child mentally and physically,” she stressed.
With this, the director said BNCs should focus on giving nutrition interventions from pregnancy up to two years or the first 1,000 days of the child.
She added that it is also important that they are aware of other PPAN programs to address other types of malnutrition including child wasting, overnutrition or obesity, and micronutrient deficiencies or the lack of vitamins and minerals. (CLJD/MJSC-PIA 3)
