President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed the Department of Health (DOH) and other relevant agencies to strengthen the National Nutrition Council’s efforts (NNC) to address the so-called “triple burden of malnutrition” in the Philippines.
The triple burden includes undernutrition, micronutrient deficiency, and overnutrition.
The Global Burden of Disease 2021 report identified dietary risks and malnutrition as the leading contributors to the country’s disease burden.
During a sectoral meeting held in Malacañang, Marcos Jr. stressed the need for national-level intervention to support local government units (LGUs) in tackling malnutrition. He suggested that NNC could play a key role in assisting LGus.
“The performance at the LGU level is highly inconsistent. I know mayors and governors who are really passionate about healthcare. I know so many more others that really don’t think about it,” the President.
“That’s why, we actually have to do it ourselves at the national level. That’s why, I think we should put a little more activity under NNC. And, hopefully we will find local government executives that are good and have this as a priority. But those that do not, we can come in and assist them,” he added.
The NNC was established in 1974 through Presidential Decree 491 under the administration of former president Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. to combat malnutrition in the Philippines.
It is chaired by the DOH, and vice-chaired by the Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior and Local Government. IMT
