As part of the Zuellig Family Foundation’s (ZFF) Nutrition Leadership and Equity Acceleration Program (NutriLEAP), Tarlac Governor Christian Yap took part in a guided community immersion, known as Deep Dive, to better understand the realities of malnutrition in the province’s most isolated areas. NutriLEAP, supported by the League of Provinces of the Philippines, helps provincial leaders strengthen leadership and governance to address malnutrition, especially among the most vulnerable communities.

The Deep Dive brought the Governor to two remote communities, where he met families and listened to their stories. “It was more intimate in terms of engaging with their needs and wants,” Governor Yap shared during the debrief. “I’m exposed to these areas, but to really get a deeper grasp on their health issues, their eating habits, their monetary habits, it’s different.”

Related article:

• Tarlac Leaders Commit to Better Nutrition for All

ZFF designed the Deep Dive to help leaders encounter the current reality “facially and frontally”. Guided by the Bridging Leadership Framework, the immersion encouraged reflection on how systems work—or fail—at the household level. For Governor Yap, the experience reinforced the urgency of improving nutrition, especially during the first 1,000 days (F1KD) of a child’s life.

“They really show how we can intervene in their growth, in their nutrition, in their health,” he said. “How can we extend services more proactively, especially in the critical stages of the young ones?”

The visit also revealed how geography and access shape people’s choices. Families live hours away from the city, often without reliable roads, water, or sanitation facilities. Livelihoods depend on fishing or seasonal farm work. Despite these challenges, Governor Yap noticed opportunities to engage communities more effectively.

“There’s Facebook, there’s internet there,” he noted. “So how do we reach out? If there’s something to learn, they’re immediately engaged.”

At the same time, the Governor recognized that government resources are limited, making prioritization essential. “As much as we want to address everyone and help everybody, the resources are limited,” he said. “So how do you make it more efficient? How do you target those ones who are really in dire need?”

For him, the response must combine short-term and long-term actions. In the immediate term, he stressed the need to address severe malnutrition among young children.

“We have to address it now,” Governor Yap said. “If we do not address it, this has long-term permanent effects on their growth.”

He pointed to sustained feeding programs as a necessary step, even as longer-term solutions take shape. “While we’re growing their gardens or building that behavior, we’re still addressing the current problem now,” he explained. “At least we have action plans in the next months that we can implement.”

Looking ahead, he shared a clear aspiration: to make nutrition a lasting priority in Tarlac, beyond any single administration. “I want it institutionalized,” he said. “Whoever is the governor, it’s a continuing social program targeting malnutrition.”

Through NutriLEAP, ZFF continues to support leaders in turning these encounters into action, grounded in reality, guided by empathy, and focused on building systems that truly work for those who need them most.

The Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF) joined the Evidence and Implementation Summit (EIS) 2025, a global event that brought together experts from different regions to share how they use evidence to guide better decisions in public health, social development, and community welfare. ZFF presented its abstract and poster on the First 1,000 Days Roadmap, becoming the only Filipino organization featured in its category.

Turning Evidence into Action

ZFF shared how it applies implementation science to address malnutrition and stunting in the Philippines—challenges that continue to affect children’s growth and development. Through the First 1,000 Days Roadmap, ZFF showed how leadership development, systems thinking, and intersectoral collaboration among local governments and partners strengthen health and nutrition services for families.

ZFF Nutrition Director Dr. Joyce Viar explained that turning evidence into action requires more than technical skills. She noted that collaboration, trust, and a shared understanding of how research improves people’s lives make implementation truly effective.

Sharing the ZFF Pook Malusog Experience

ZFF presented its Nutrition Governance approach through the Pook Malusog Program, which helps local governments strengthen their health and nutrition systems. The program demonstrates how good governance and evidence-based action work together to create lasting change.

Through ZFF’s Pook Malusog Dashboard, local leaders can detect malnutrition early through its automatic calculation of inputted health indicators. The dashboard can be used offline and includes a geo-tagging feature that helps track families needing nutrition support. By consolidating health and nutrition data, it enables timely and informed decisions at the local level.

 

Inspiration from Global Leaders

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon captured the spirit of the event with his message to “make things happen.” He described the summit as truly inspiring, offering practical lessons that can guide continued innovation in health and development.

Several key insights from the sessions resonated with ZFF’s work:

• Balancing speed and strategy in implementing programs recognizing when to move quickly and when to pause for reflection to avoid counterproductive results.
• Ensuring both the quality of evidence and the quality of its use focusing not only on whether research informs policy but also on how effectively it is applied.
• Combining data with compelling storytelling showing that evidence paired with a strong narrative can inspire reforms and motivate stakeholders to act.

Together with organizations from Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas, ZFF contributed to discussions on how countries adapt and scale solutions that fit their own contexts. By engaging with a global community of practice, ZFF continues to “make things happen” for better health and nutrition outcomes in the Philippines. Addressing stunting and wasting among children must remain a national priority, requiring sustained investments in proven interventions that can be replicated and scaled to maximize impact for future generations.

Author: Samantha Morales, ZFF Nutrition Knowledge Management and Communications Associate; Krizzia Esperanza, ZFF Corporate Communications Associate

Empowering communities, strengthening leadership for better health outcomes

About the report

The Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF) Annual Report 2024 shares stories of change, lessons learned, and milestones in improving health outcomes for Filipinos.

Our work in 2024 focused on:

2024 at a glance

ZFF will continue working with provinces, cities, and municipalities to accelerate health reforms, scale nutrition programs, and empower youth and communities.

Read the full report here:

ZFF Annual Report 2024

Download

Download: Audited Financial Statements 2024

“Gusto kong gumanda ‘yung buhay ng mga kababayan ko. Kung puro sila masakitin, how can they farm, fish, or study?” says Liza Resurreccion, former Mayor and current Vice Mayor of the municipality of Pilar in Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte. 

This 4th class municipality at the center of the beach and surfing island of Siargao is often caught in the push to modernize and develop for tourism, but Vice Mayor Resurreccion chose to prioritize the health and well-being of Pilar, especially its youngest residents. With 163 cases of stunting in the municipality in 2024, malnutrition tops Pilar’s health priorities. 

In 2024, the Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF) introduced the Pook Malusog Dashboard to Pilar. By 2025, this digital health and nutrition information system was used in all 15 barangays of Pilar to record the height and weight measurements of children under the nationwide Operation Timbang (OPT) program. Then Mayor Resurreccion procured 15 tablet computers for each barangay to support the use of the Dashboard.

The Dashboard detects malnutrition early through its automatic calculation of inputted health indicators. It can be used without internet connection, and has a geo-tagging feature that helps in the tracking of families that need nutrition support.

“With the Dashboard, we want to improve the way [health and nutrition] data is gathered, analyzed, and utilized,” says Dr. Joyce Ann Viar, Nutrition Director at ZFF. Since the old pen-and-paper data gathering approach exposes data to human errors, Dr. Viar adds, “It is better na meron talaga tayong application or tool wherein hindi na kailangang isulat. It can be automatically encoded into a system that can then automatically process the information and give you more real-time analysis.”

Related articles:

• Real-Time Health Data: How Pilar, Siargao is Using the ZFF Pook Malusog Dashboard
• Empowering Barangays and Communities through Nutrition Governance: Pilar’s Journey

Ginaflor Minguita, Database Manager for Pilar, shares, “Sa [Pook Malusog Dashboard], madaling ma-identify kung ‘yung bata ay malnourished. Kasi pag-[enter] mo ng data, malalaman mo agad ‘yung result.” This allows them to provide intervention as soon as malnutrition is detected, compared to the process before the Dashboard was introduced and used. John Mar Virtudazo, Public Health Nurse of Pilar, notes, “After OPT, ma-receive namin ‘yung final output one month after pa. Kung may ma-identify na MAM/SAM (moderate/severe acute malnourished), it’s late na talaga para magbigay ng intervention.”

ZFF provides hands-on one-on-one sessions and coaching on the use of the Dashboard for the foot soldiers of OPT, the Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNSs). Dr. Viar considers user acceptability—BNSs’ reluctance to use digital tools—as the primary challenge of the Dashboard rollout. “They have to understand why we need to go digital, why we need to use this application.

“No’ng una [mahirap], no’ng nagte-training pa kami, pero ngayon okay na,” says Joela Balunan, the BNS for Barangay Pilaring, Pilar. She shares that each of the 15 barangays of Pilar has at least one designated BNS, and they would work as a team, in small groups, to make their OPT work easier. “Dito [sa Dashboard], automatic na. Mas nakagaan po ito sa trabaho namin,” adds Ruth Coñado, BNS for Barangay Maasin, Pilar.

The ZFF Pook Malusog Dashboard, after its successful pilot implementation in Pilar, alongside Tipo-Tipo and Lamitan in Basilan, is set to be introduced in Del Carmen, another Siargao Island municipality, and other Basilan cities and municipalities within the year. “We saw a positive effect of using the tool, and positive feedback, not only from the users, but from the communities,” Dr. Viar says.

“We want more people to experience this. Having accurate data, [we get] higher chances our communities will be able to respond to malnutrition better and faster.”

“Relentless follow-through is the name of the game,” said Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF) President and Executive Director Austere Panadero as he addressed graduates of the Municipal Leadership and Governance Program (MLGP) Cycle 4 in Western Visayas. He challenged them to go beyond planning and focus on execution—encouraging collaboration, innovation, and long-term thinking in addressing persistent health issues, including teenage pregnancy and malnutrition.

Seventeen local government units (LGUs) from across Western Visayas completed the 18-month MLGP journey during the Colloquium held on July 10 in Iloilo City. These included 1 LGU from Guimaras, 2 from Antique, 3 from Iloilo, and 7 from Negros Occidental. The graduates included local chief executives (LCEs), municipal health officers, and designated “third leaders”, mostly municipal planning and development officers.

Led by the Department of Health (DOH)-Western Visayas, in partnership with the University of the Philippines (UP)-Visayas and ZFF, MLGP builds the leadership and governance skills of local health leaders using ZFF’s Bridging Leadership framework. Since 2014, more than 250 health leaders in the region have completed the program.

Dr. Philip Ian Padilla, MLGP Project Leader from UP Visayas, proudly noted that this cycle reached a 100% graduation rate—a first in the program. “This reflects the strong commitment of local leaders to improve their health systems,” he said.

DOH-Western Visayas Regional Director Dr. Annabelle Yumang shared that MLGP shifted the health governance mindset among LGUs. “Health is not for the health sector alone, but truly the responsibility of our LCEs to own the health of the people,” she said, drawing from her past experience as a municipal health officer.

DOH Undersecretary Dr. Mary Ann Palermo-Maestral called on the graduates to lead with heart and inclusion: “Let us remain steadfast not just in implementing health programs, but in building a health movement that advances justice, dignity, and hope for every Filipino.”

The graduates presented best practices and results from their MLGP practicum work—tackling health issues such as maternal health, WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene), teenage pregnancy, malnutrition, tuberculosis, and mental health. Their presentations showcased not just improvements in health indicators but also strengthened community involvement and collaboration.

Mayor Aser Baladjay of Laua-an, Antique, shared how community dialogues helped respond to the needs of an Indigenous Peoples group in a remote area. Mayor Benjie Miranda of Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, stressed the importance of creating a long-term health roadmap beyond one-time financial assistance. Mayor Adi Lazaro of Pototan, Iloilo, credited MLGP for helping them meet all their health roadmap indicators.

Throughout the event, local leaders expressed appreciation to ZFF for its guidance in applying Bridging Leadership to real-life health challenges.

As Cycle 4 ends, the graduates are equipped not just with knowledge, but with stronger resolve to implement Universal Health Care in their communities—anchored on leadership, systems change, and a commitment to better health for all.