Facing the Reality of Malnutrition: Tarlac Governor’s Deep Dive
News | by Krizzia Esperanza
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.”
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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.
