Nutrition and Health Leadership: Envisioning Healthy Surigaonon Communities

“Malnutrition-free community,” Malimono dreams for their town. Malimono is one of the three Municipalities, alongside Del Carmen and San Francisco, in Surigao Del Norte that undertook Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF)’s Nutrition and Health Leadership (NutriHeaL) for Resilience Module 1 training on February 13-16, 2024.

The NutriHeaL training is part of ZFF’s larger project, the Project Transdisciplinary Approach for Resilience and Environmental Sustainability through Multistakeholder Engagement (Project TRANSFORM), which seeks to foster resilient communities through improved health, education, and social protection. ZFF partnered with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), Peace Equity Foundation (PEF), and other civil society organizations to implement the project in Surigao del Norte.

NutriHeal for Resilience Module 1 focuses on “Deepening Ownership and Accountability for Nutrition,” inviting municipal health leaders to delve into community realities and the various factors influencing nutrition which would then enable them to craft individual visions and actionable plans aimed at improving health, food, and nutrition systems within their municipalities. Mr. Ray Banglos of ZFF led a discussion on understanding global and national malnutrition landscape, while Nutrition Officer Ms. Hare Britney Jasmin National Nutrition Council Caraga Region, delivered a session on nutrition systems in emergencies.

One of the key highlights of the training was the emphasis on holistic, systems-based approaches to addressing malnutrition. ZFF Nutrition Portfolio Director, Dr. Joyce Viar, MHA, navigated through the complexity of malnutrition, and introduced ZFF’s Bridging Leadership as a response to this challenge. Mr. Jescir Crescencio of ZFF also facilitated a session on harnessing the power of Systems Thinking. In these sessions, rather than viewing nutrition in isolation, participants were encouraged to consider the interconnectedness of various factors, including healthcare access, education, environmental sustainability, and socio-economic conditions, empowering local leaders to devise comprehensive strategies.

Moreover, the training emphasized multisectoral engagement processes, recognizing the need for collaboration across various domains to achieve optimal nutrition outcomes. Through dialogue and brainstorming, core teams generated innovative strategies to combat malnutrition, fostering a sense of collective responsibility and ownership. 

ZFF dreams with Surigao del Norte for a community “where every individual has access to adequate, nutritious and safe food.” Through collective action, we can create a future where every Surigaonon has the opportunity to lead a healthy, fulfilling life.