Delegates from the Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF) showcased nutrition-focused governance solutions at the 18th Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) Global Health Conference held at Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on October 28–31, 2025. Three representatives from the ZFF Nutrition team presented lessons from ZFF’s governance-focused approach to strengthening local nutrition systems during the Global Health Nutrition Parallel Sessions.

Dr. Joyce Viar, Nutrition Director at ZFF, demonstrated nutrition leadership in practice through a governance approach, highlighting how the Pook Malusog Nutrition Governance Program strengthens local leadership and builds resilient nutrition systems. Jennifer Nandu, ZFF Nutrition Project Expert, illustrated how improved governance in Basilan transformed peace gains into better nutrition outcomes, showing how nutrition can serve as a dividend of peace. Rio Fe del Valle, ZFF Nutrition Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Expert, showcased how ZFF’s First 1,000 Days (F1KD) Nutrition Roadmap helps local government units (LGUs) build more coherent, accountable, and functional nutrition systems.

View the presentations:

• Nutrition Leadership in Practice: A Governance Approach through the Pook Malusog Nutrition Governance Program
• From Conflict to Care: Nutrition as a Dividend of Peace through Good Governance in Basilan
• Strengthening Local Nutrition Systems through Governance: Implementation of the F1KD Nutrition Roadmap by the Zuellig Family Foundation
• More knowledge products

These presentations emphasized that nutrition governance relies on building leadership, systems, and structures that drive sustainable change. Strong governance enables LGUs to integrate sectors, use data effectively, safeguard programs across political cycles, and design solutions tailored to local realities. The presenters stressed that sustained improvements in child and maternal nutrition occur only when governance is strong, coordinated, and people-centered.

The ZFF delegates’ contributions complemented broader conference discussions on how interconnected factors—health systems, maternal health, education, mental well-being, climate risks, and community conditions—shape nutrition. Presenters showed how school environments, caregiving practices, and exposure to environmental hazards affect children’s growth and learning. They also highlighted the needs of vulnerable groups and the expanding role of digital tools in promoting food literacy and healthier behaviors among youth.

Overall, the sessions reinforced a key insight: governments and development partners must address malnutrition through a multisectoral, systems-oriented approach that goes beyond feeding programs and accounts for the social, environmental, and health-related factors influencing the well-being of children and families, not only across the Asia-Pacific region, but also globally.

Author: Rio Fe Del Valle, ZFF Nutrition Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Expert

At the Evidence and Implementation Summit (EIS) 2025, I represented the Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF) among global leaders in research, policy, and practice. Held in partnership with the Implementation Science Health Conference Australia (ISHCA), the Summit reminded us that in health, nutrition, and early childhood development, having evidence is not enough—how we translate it into action is what truly makes a difference.

Implementation Science: Turning Knowledge into Practice

Implementation science studies how practitioners can turn evidence-based interventions into routine practice. Its goal is simple but profound: to improve lives by ensuring proven programs reach people, adapt to their needs, and remain effective over time. At ZFF, we live this every day. Our First 1,000 Days (F1KD) Nutrition Roadmap serves as a laboratory of learning. We track what works, address challenges, and translate lessons into actionable guidance for local implementers, policymakers, and partner organizations.

The Summit highlighted that scaling up programs never works perfectly from the start. As Cillian Nolan of J-PAL Europe noted, “Scaling up may open more challenges and problems. Having a model doesn’t mean there’s no room for refinement.” Even for our Nutrition Leadership and Equity Acceleration Program (NutriLEAP), a successful pilot requires continuous adaptation to succeed in different contexts. Challenges do not signal failure, but rather they spark creativity, innovation, and learning.

Early Childhood Care and Development: The Power of Early Stimulation

The Summit also featured the power of early childhood care and development (ECCD). Research shows that the earliest years critically shape brain development, language acquisition, and social-emotional growth. In New Zealand, children as young as 1.5 years old engage in structured learning routines, sound play, storytelling, and early mathematical exercises. These activities improve brain development, language skills, and self-regulation, even for children from low-income families. Singapore’s programs highlight social-emotional skill building, showing that strong early foundations help children thrive academically and socially. For the Philippines, these examples underscore both guidance and urgency: investing in early childhood strengthens the nation’s future.

Engaging Local Government: Context is Everything

During a Special Interest Group session on international development, participants discussed how varying government support affects program implementation. I shared ZFF’s experience collaborating with local government units to strengthen health and nutrition systems. The Philippines’ devolved governance structure offers opportunities for local innovation, but outcomes depend on leaders’ capacity and commitment. This session reinforced a key principle of implementation science: context shapes success. Evidence-based programs succeed only when implementers understand local realities, build strong relationships, and exercise effective leadership.

EIS 2025 reminded me that progress requires persistence, learning, and continuous adaptation—not perfect models. Implementation science provides the framework to bridge evidence and action, while ECCD demonstrates why early, evidence-informed interventions shape healthier, more equitable communities. At ZFF, we implement strategies thoughtfully, document lessons rigorously, and share knowledge widely—ensuring every child, regardless of background, can thrive.

Author: Dr. Joyce Viar, ZFF Nutrition Director

Surigao City — Surigao del Norte leaders reinforced their commitment to protect communities during disasters by aligning strategies for Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) in emergencies.

The Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF), in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and with support from Australian Aid, led a two-day Project Alignment and Technical Roadmapping Workshop on September 11–12, 2025 at the Provincial Conference Hall in Surigao City. The event brought together provincial officials, health leaders, and development partners to craft a unified roadmap for implementing the Minimum Initial Service Package for SRH (MISP-SRH).

Provincial leaders signaled their commitment by joining the sessions. Atty. Rise Faith Recabo, Provincial Administrator, represented Governor Robert Lyndon Barbers. Dr. Maria Isabel Makinano, Provincial Health Officer, and Fe Saumat, Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer, also joined, along with other department heads and staff. Their presence showed the province’s determination to strengthen SRH services in its disaster response plans.

During the alignment session, Emmanuelle Pabalate, OIC-Project Manager for MISP-SRH at ZFF, urged stakeholders to set measurable milestones and align local efforts with national frameworks. She urged participants to:

• Set measurable milestones, strengthen governance, and mobilize resources; and 
• Build lasting partnerships with civil society organizations to sustain reforms and ensure that provincial strategies remain aligned with national frameworks.

In the technical session, ZFF MISP-SRH staff, Elaine Joyce Diaz and Loriegrace Mindoro, guided participants through a structured process of reviewing achievements, identifying gaps, and mapping out strategies with timelines. Diaz underscored that:

• Evidence-based planning strengthens accountability;
• Proper monitoring helps track progress and sustain services; and
• Aligning actions with the DRRM framework ensures readiness during emergencies.

The workshop ended with an actionable roadmap and renewed partnerships among provincial stakeholders. While challenges remain, Surigao del Norte signaled its readiness to institutionalize reforms, mobilize resources, and strengthen governance systems.

These efforts aim to build a resilient and inclusive SRH system that protects families, especially women and girls, during disasters.

Authors:  Loriegrace Mindoro, ZFF Provincial Account Officer for Catanduanes and Surigao del Norte; Krizzia Esperanza, ZFF Corporate Communications Associate

Santa Rosa, Laguna — The Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF)’s Bayang Malusog Community of Practice (CoP) held a face-to-face learning visit on September 4, 2025, at Healthway QualiMed Hospital, where Chief Operating Officer Atty. Nirmala Barbara Vanguardia welcomed members and introduced the hospital’s approach to providing quality health care.

Participants representing 11 CoP member areas (Aklan, Apayao, Benguet, Eastern Samar, Ifugao, Kalinga, La Union, Mountain Province, Nueva Vizcaya, Occidental Mindoro, and Baguio City) took part in the session to learn how a private health institution manages its systems and sustains its operations. The visit gave participants an opportunity to compare experiences and see how good practices in hospital and primary care management could inspire solutions in local government health systems. 

Hospital leaders presented the facility’s background, expansion plans, and organizational structure. They emphasized that clarifying roles and responsibilities helps teams work effectively and prevents overlaps. Members found this lesson particularly relevant as many provinces are still refining their own organizational arrangements for Universal Health Care (UHC) implementation.

Related articles:

• Bayang Malusog Community of Practice: Advancing Health Care Provider Networks for Universal Health Care
• Insights from the 2024 Bayang Malusog Community of Practice Sessions

The hospital also showcased its referral network under the Healthway Medical Network, explaining how it links patients to appropriate care, supports information flow, and ensures continuity of services. CoP members noted that strengthening referral systems remains a common challenge in local settings, making this example valuable. The discussion on financial management further gave members insights on how sound systems can sustain service delivery and improve efficiency.

A guided tour of the hospital allowed participants to observe operations firsthand, from equipment standards to human resource practices. The interactive exchange encouraged members to raise questions on how these systems could be adapted in their provinces, especially in contexts where resources are limited.

In the plenary session, members reflected on the visit and shared how they plan to apply their learnings. Some said the clear structure and systematic networking approach of Healthway could serve as models for strengthening their own provincial health systems. Others expressed that seeing the hospital’s practices in action made the lessons more concrete and easier to adapt.

Dr. Catherine Chung, Local Health Systems Director at ZFF, closed the activity with words of encouragement, reminding the members that peer learning and exposure to different models help build stronger foundations for UHC. She urged participants to translate their insights into action, carrying forward the motivation from the visit into their communities.

The end-line study of the Integrated Provincial Health Systems Development Program (IPHSDP) highlights its role in enhancing leadership and health system resilience, achieving significant progress in Universal Health Care implementation and COVID-19 response across participating provinces, while underscoring the need for sustained collaboration and digital infrastructure improvement for effective policy-making and continued program success.