Translating Field Realities into Policy Action to Fight Child Malnutrition

In Bohol, where island barangays and mountainous interiors often separate families from timely health care, the journey toward Universal Health Care requires leaders to walk alongside the most vulnerable.

On September 2, 2026, Bohol Governor Erico Aristotle “Aris” Aumentado and the Provincial Health Office (PHO) team completed an intensive field immersion known as a Deep Dive. A core component of ZFF’s Bridging Leadership, the Deep Dive pushes local chief executives and health officers to step out of executive offices and witness systemic health challenges through the eyes of local stakeholders.

This immersion follows the Provincial Leadership Health Development Program (PLHDP) Module 1 training held in Mandaue City, Cebu, co-organized by ZFF, the Department of Health–Central Visayas (DOH-7), University of the Philippines Cebu, and Cebu Normal University. “We cannot transform if we are not aware of the gaps and realities on the ground,” Governor Aumentado emphasized during the executive session.

Opening the immersion orientation, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Fruserma Mary A. Uy outlined Bohol’s current nutrition profile. While the province has made steady strides in maternal and child health, persistent gaps remain. Data from 2024 through mid-2026 shows stunting rates hovering near 5%, underweight cases exceeding 2%, and a subtle rise in child obesity.  

To see what those numbers mean in daily life, Governor Aumentado and the provincial health team visited three households struggling with severe undernutrition in Barangay Tapon, Ubay. In one home, a father’s meager earnings as a tricycle driver meant meals were irregular and nutrient-deficient–a clear look at how economic instability directly drives health inequities.

Photo above: Deep Dive proper

Reflecting on the experience, Governor Aumentado acknowledged that social protection programs often fail because they lack validation from community realities. Moving forward, he pledged to restructure provincial strategy by delivering direct livelihood support to individual vulnerable households rather than relying solely on group-level grants.

He also targeted the province’s fragmented feeding initiatives, proposing a unified, targeted approach that pools resources from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Education (DepEd), Office of Provincial Social Welfare and Development (OPSWD), and local municipal units.

“If it is a meal, well-prepared, well-thought of, studied talaga for a month, focused on these pupils in one or two schools, then at the end we measure the output. We pool resources, focus on where the problem is highest. That’s the broad stroke of the program we should get started on,” he explained.

PHO Dr. Uy added that tackling undernutrition requires addressing its root drivers: “Malnutrition is just the tip of the iceberg. We will sustain our gains, adopt best practices from neighboring provinces, and move forward with a clearer direction.”

Austere A. Panadero, President and Executive Director of ZFF, framed the immersion’s broader lesson: “Health was our entry point but clearly, there are more issues to solve. Nakita natin na importante ang kalusugan, kaalaman, at kabuhayan.”

Photo above: A former Barangay Nutrition Scholar shares their struggles as a family during the Deep Dive. 

The Bohol team will reconvene in November 2026 for the BMLGP Module 2 training to refine the provincial health roadmap. Governor Aumentado closed the session with a statement of resolve, affirming his commitment to prioritize child nutrition and ensure that no family is left behind.