The Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF) joined experts, researchers, and advocates at the Centre for Holistic Initiatives for Learning and Development (CHILD) Conference 2025 in Singapore, a global gathering focused on improving early childhood care and development. The event focused on how research can shape better policies and programs for children’s health and nutrition.

In a breakout session, Denise Sisante, ZFF’s Nutrition Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Associate, shared lessons from its Municipal Nutrition Governance Program (MNGP) implementation in Siargao. She talked about how a multisectoral helped rebuild and strengthen nutrition systems after Typhoon Odette and the COVID-19 pandemic. With ZFF’s support, Siargaonons worked to restore essential health services, ensuring recovery and long-term sustainability.

More than just sharing experiences, the conference built new connections with academic institutions and other organizations—all working toward the same goal: stronger health and nutrition systems for children. By linking research, policy, and action, ZFF hopes to inspire more communities to find local solutions for better health and nutrition outcomes.

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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.

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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.”

Hosted by the Zuellig Family Foundation on May 21, 2024, this event marked the completion of its two projects, the AHON Siargao Capacity Enhancement project (with Alumni Association of Asian Institute of Management) and the Kristian Gerhard Jebsen Foundation project. The forum featured real stories of leadership, resilience, and change. Mayors from Pilar, Burgos, and Sta. Monica in Siargao, along with Basilan Governor Jim Hataman-Salliman, joined as panel speakers. They reflected on their experiences and shared practical lessons in nutrition governance.

READ MORE:

Building Stronger Nutrition Systems in Siargao: The Ahon Siargao Experience