Provincial Efforts for Nutrition: Pook Malusog Community of Practice Insights

Provincial officers from Northern Samar, Zamboanga del Norte, Basilan, and Sarangani shared their strategies for improving health and nutrition, offering valuable insights for other provinces to consider. These were presented during the Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF)’s first Pook Malusog Community of Practice (CoP) in Nutrition last June 26, 2024 with the theme “Building One Community for Nutrition”.

Northern Samar: Building Capacity and Improving Facilities

Hannah Bautista shared the progress made since their involvement in ZFF programs. Initially, the province faced challenges with overstocked and expired malnutrition commodities, and inadequate facilities for treating severe acute malnutrition (SAM). They improved by building capacity for the Philippines Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (PIMAM), with help from UNICEF, establishing in-patient therapeutic care in two district hospitals, and strengthening referral systems. The province adopted a policy in March 2023 to designate specific facilities for malnutrition treatment, aiming for wider adoption by 2024.

Zamboanga del Norte: Innovating with Nutritional Solutions

Alein Khio shared their solution for children not qualifying for PIMAM support through the Department of Science and Technology-Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) Malnutrition Reduction Program. This program, offering rice-mongo blends and curls, reached 3,200 individuals. Challenges remain with high production costs limiting reach and the need for better packaging of the rice-mongo blends and curls. DOST-FNRI’s commitment to help with packaging could broaden distribution. The province established a food processing plant, ensuring continuity of nutrition interventions despite administrative changes.

Basilan: Establishing and Standardizing Nutrition Programs

Nadzwa Sabandal discussed starting their nutrition program with minimal resources. With ZFF’s support, they established a fully operational PNAO position and held an LGU Forum to encourage prioritization of nutrition programs. They aim to standardize incentives for Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS) across barangays to ensure fair compensation and greater involvement.

Sarangani: Data-Driven Nutrition Management

Dr. Arvin Alejandro introduced their HCPN intervention—dealing with politics, collaboration, political will, and nurturing partnerships. They developed the Sarangani Health Information and Management System (SHIMS) for profiling the population’s nutritional status. This data-driven approach identifies community needs and monitors social determinants of health. The system, initially developed for free with Mahintana Foundation’s help, later enhanced by the province’s Information Technology team, offers a cost-effective solution compared to commercial options. They plan to establish a comprehensive healthcare network and improve connectivity for telehealth services.

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The discussions and insights shared during the session highlight the diverse approaches these provinces are taking to enhance health and nutrition. Their experiences provide valuable lessons and inspiration for building healthier communities across the Philippines.