The National Nutrition Council (NNC) on Thursday called for stronger food systems, sustained multisectoral action, and measures to safeguard household purchasing power to ensure Filipino families have access to safe and nutritious food.
Citing data from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, the NNC noted that the global cost of a healthy diet increased by 25 percent from 2021 to 2024, rising from approximately PHP195 to PHP242.
In the Philippines, affordability remains a major hurdle, with the 2023 National Nutrition Survey by the Department of Science and Technology-Food and Nutrition Research Institute showing that Filipino families typically purchase food from “sari-sari” stores (73 percent), main public markets (58 percent), and neighborhood wet markets (49 percent) on limited budgets of PHP100 to PHP500 per shopping trip.
“Families are affected by food prices. This is no longer just a matter of expenses, but also of the nutrition and health of our citizens, especially children and other vulnerable sectors. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ordered the strengthening of food security,” said NNC Executive Director Albert Domingo.
To address these challenges, the NNC promotes nutrition and food security initiatives under the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) 2023–2028.
It emphasizes government, private sector, and community collaboration through school and community gardens, alongside campaigns promoting local, nutritious, and climate-resilient foods like mung beans, malunggay, eggs, sardines, and root crops.
As the country celebrates Nutrition Month this July under the theme “Nutrisyon at Kalikasan, Ating Pangalagaan!” (Nutrition and Nature, Let Us Nurture!), the NNC urges all sectors to take concrete steps toward making food sufficient, affordable, and accessible.
“Through cooperation, we can advance the goals of the PPAN and ensure that every Filipino has access to sufficient and nutritious food today and in the future. Because with PPAN: we can act together for adequate nutrition for all,” Domingo said. (PNA)