Navigating Challenges and Opportunities to Improve Health and Nutrition in Tabuan Lasa, Basilan

On September 25, 2024, Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF) President Austere Panadero and Board of Trustees member Dr. Manuel Dayrit, and guest Dr. Jaemin Park, accompanied by Basilan Provincial Administrator Manny Muarip, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Sharifa Ann Abbas, Provincial Nutrition Action Officer Nadzwa Sabandal, and Alex Cotales of the Provincial Agriculture Office, visited the municipality of Tabuan Lasa, one of the five ZFF Municipal Nutrition Governance Program (MNGP) expansion areas in Basilan.

Tabuan Lasa, along with six other municipalities, was established in 2006 when Basilan was part of the defunct Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Its name, Tabuan Lasa, was derived from its four major islands: Tapiantana, Bubuan, Lanawan, and Saluping. In the Tausug dialect, Tabuan Lasa means “Market of Love.” The municipality comprises 12 barangays and has a population of nearly thirty thousand, predominantly made up of ethnic groups, including Yakan, Tausug, Sama, and Badjao, with a notable mobile population.

Despite its rich cultural diversity, Tabuan Lasa faces significant challenges. It ranks first in stunting rates, is among the top five in wasting, and has some of the lowest health indicators in the province. Local leaders attribute these alarming statistics to deeply entrenched cultural beliefs and practices that affect early child care and discourage effective health-seeking behaviors within the community.

In his welcome remarks, Mayor Moner Manisan expressed his appreciation for ZFF’s visit. He shared how his involvement in MNGP has heightened his awareness of the health and nutrition challenges in his municipality. Mayor Manisan is committed to leading his MNGP team in exploring barriers to health improvement and addressing them effectively. “Ginagawa namin ang lahat, subalit kinkailangang paigtingin ang pag tutulungan.”(We are doing everything, but collaboration needs to be intensified.)

In just three months since joining MNGP, the team has set ambitious goals: enhancing the capacity of health and nutrition workers, intensifying targeted health communication campaigns to improve health-seeking behavior and promote basic health services, fostering collaboration among line agencies, and integrating nutrition programs with the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and other social protection initiatives in the municipality. 

Eager to improve health services in his municipality, Mayor Manisan has recently recruited a new doctor, a Doctor to the Barrio (DTTB), whom he also designated as the Municipal Health Officer (MHO). Although a position for MHO has existed in the plantilla, there have been no takers for years. Moreover, Tabuan Lasa is well-equipped with health facilities and personnel; all barangays have health stations manned by a midwife, supported by 112 BHWs, and every barangay has at least one Barangay Nutrition Scholar (BNS). The presence of the MHO will also facilitate PhilHealth accreditation of health facilities and boost health financing and program implementation.

During the visit, members of the MNGP team and other department heads were also present, fostering a collaborative atmosphere. Cotales distributed vegetable seeds and fertilizers, which will primarily benefit families with Nutritionally at Risk (NAR) and First 1,000 Days (F1KD) populations.

Through concerted efforts and collaborative strategies, Tabuan Lasa is poised to make strides in improving health and nutrition outcomes for its constituents.