Once marked by conflict and instability, the Province of Basilan is now making progress in improving health and nutrition outcomes for young children. 

Through strong local leadership and a decade of partnership with the Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF), Basilan has strengthened systems for maternal and child health, food security, and early childhood care—especially during the critical First 1,000 Days (F1KD) of life.

ZFF shared this experience during the Asia-Pacific Regional Network for Early Childhood (ARNEC) Conference 2025. Speaking on a panel hosted by the Tanoto Foundation, ZFF presented how their work in Basilan has transformed early childhood outcomes through governance-focused approaches. Using the Foundation’s Bridging Leadership approach and Health Change Model, ZFF helped local leaders address gaps in health and nutrition despite the province’s complex and fragile context.

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• Municipal Leaders in Basilan Enhance Nutrition Governance through Zuellig Family Foundation Training

The Basilan Assistance Program (BAP), which built on earlier gains from the Provincial Nutrition Governance Program, trained governors and mayors to co-create local solutions, increase community participation, and strengthen service delivery. As part of the program, 255 barangays deployed community health workers to monitor and support pregnant women and malnourished children. Ten of the thirteen mayors underwent leadership and technical training further embedding nutrition priorities in local governance.

Between 2023 and 2024, stunting among children aged 0–2 dropped by 6.26 percentage points—from 16.74% to 10.48%. Wasting rates also declined, reflecting better capacity to prevent and manage acute malnutrition. Nutrition funding rose nearly fourfold, from 7.2 million pesos in 2021 to 27 million pesos in 2024. These improvements directly support brain development, emotional regulation, and school readiness—giving Basilan’s children a stronger start in life.

Basilan’s transformation shows that inclusive, equity-driven, and locally led programs can thrive even in post-conflict settings. “When we had peace, we now have the mental space to plan beyond the day after tomorrow,” said former Basilan Governor, now Vice Governor, Jim Hataman Salliman. 

“We can now be more strategic and focus our investment in health and nutrition, which was not prioritized before.”

The Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF) continues to strengthen local nutrition governance through its flagship initiative, Pook Malusog, which empowers provincial leaders to lead multisectoral efforts in addressing malnutrition. 

With its long-standing belief that health and nutrition outcomes improve when local chief executives take ownership, ZFF works closely with governors, mayors, and frontline workers to ensure that leadership, planning, and systems are aligned to support families, especially during the First 1,000 Days (F1KD) of a child’s life.

ZFF shared its experiences and insights during the Webinar on a Weekday  (WoW!) session organized by the Philippine Stakeholders for Nutrition and Dietetics, Inc. (PSND) last July 11, 2025. The webinar, titled “Make or Break! How Will Your Newly Elected Officials Impact Nutrition in Your Community?” aimed to raise awareness on nutrition as a governance issue and encourage stronger local leadership in prioritizing nutrition.

Cecilio Adorna, Senior Fellow at Stratan LLC, opened the session by sharing national-level trends in child wasting and stunting. He pointed out that recent gains—such as the decline of stunting from 33.4% in 2015 to 23.6% in 2023—were driven by increased local government unit (LGU) engagement and policy support. “We should celebrate,” he said, “but also determine what was done right. The giant in the room is the LGU. The more we mobilize and support them, the more we can intensify progress.”

Dr. Joyce Ann Viar, ZFF’s Nutrition Director, stressed the governance gaps that continue to hinder progress: “Malnutrition remains a serious issue. Mataas pa rin po ang stunting and wasting sa bansa. One of the key reasons is the lack of coordination and accountability at the local level.” She shared how ZFF’s Provincial Nutrition Governance Program (PNGP) helps address these gaps by building the capacity of governors and their teams through coaching, training, and Deep Dive—a guided community immersion activity.

Austere Panadero, ZFF President and Executive Director, added, “What nutrition governance really requires is clear leadership. Kung hindi malinaw sa LGU, mahihirapan ang programa.” He urged continued investment in nutrition, citing that visible gains must be sustained and scaled by empowering more LGUs.

Through its Eight Critical Knobs of Nutrition Governance, ZFF promotes a comprehensive, system-wide approach to improving maternal and child nutrition. In Sarangani and Samar, stronger local leadership has led to improved nutrition policies, increased investments, better coordination across departments, and more empowered communities.

“We saw consistent improvement in nutrition outcomes in provinces that prioritized and strengthened these knobs,” said Dr. Viar. “Sana mapalago pa. More LGUs will be inspired or interested to enroll in the program.”