PH Nutrition Month Highlights: Accessible, Affordable Food for All

In a country still beset by malnutrition, poverty, and hunger, having a month-long celebration to create greater awareness on healthy-eating habits and promote food security is an essential step in the right direction that the national government is dutifully spearheading.

This year, the National Nutrition Month centers around the theme, "Healthy Diet Gawing (Make It) Affordable For All,” which essentially advocates for food security and highlights the necessity of maintaining a healthy diet and making informed food choices to improve the overall physical and mental well-being of every Filipino nationwide.

Quick History of Nutrition Month Celebration in the Philippines

In June 1974 under the Marcos Sr. administration, Presidential Decree 491 or the Nutrition Act of the Philippines was implemented. This paved the way for the creation of the National Nutrition Council (NNC), which has since been tasked to supervise, implement, and conduct national nutritional programs. Since then, the month of July was established to celebrate Nutrition Month with a specific theme each year.

49th National Nutrition Month Highlights and Talking Points

The 49th National Nutrition Month, which zeroes in on food affordability and accessibility, was officially launched in Tagum City, Davao del Norte last July 3, and was livestreamed via the official Facebook account of the NNC.

The Council also prepared a comprehensive presentation of talking points that revolves around this year's theme. Here, we'll provide you a summary of the highlights and offer practical tips on how to join the nation in observing the National Nutrition Month and echo its advocacy on healthy food affordability and accessibility for all.

Campaign Objectives

This year's Nutrition Month celebration specifically emphasizes the need for better access to affordable yet healthy diets among Filipinos to lessen malnutrition cases, and enhance food security and overall quality of life. Moreover, the nutrition campaign aims to inspire consumers to shift to eating healthier food groups and improve diet quality; encourage active involvement of relevant stakeholders to effect better access to affordable, sustainable, and healthy diets; as well as rally support for the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition 2023-2028 as the driving force to enact measures meant to attain food security.

Key Messages

As a major part of its key messages, the council reminds all individuals, families, and communities to:

• Introduce children to a healthy diet, from breastfeeding during infancy up to two years with complementary feeding;

• Consume healthy food and refrain from eating too much processed foods and beverages;

• Encourage everyone to grow fruits and vegetables in their own gardens;

• Show support to farmers by buying directly from them.

Meanwhile, the council also urges policymakers to:

• Work on creating pieces of legislation that will offer subsidies for healthy food options

• Work on decreasing the accessibility of unhealthful food choices via policies on taxation, limitations on unhealthy food advertising, and fostering consumer education;

• Increase funds and resources to the agriculture sector so as to provide better access to cheap, nourishing, and safe food items.

Finally, the council reminds the food industry to:

• Produce healthier food products with reduced contents of sodium, saturated fat, and added sugars;

• Stop the application of hydrogenized or partly hydrogenized oils to remove trans fat acids;

• Manufacture more nutritious food products that will undergo less processing.

The Council's "MURA NA" Campaign Strategy

For its campaign strategy, the council came up with the acronym "MURA NA" (now affordable) to act on its campaign promise. The MURA NA strategy goes along the lines of:

Maximizing mass and social media platforms to promote the Nutrition Month celebration along with its perpetual advocacy;

Unifying relevant stakeholders into joining forces and act on increasing access to affordable and accessible healthy food diet options through multisectoral collaborations and partnerships;

Reinforcing the necessary involvement of LGUs, schools, NGOs, and others by making them issue memorandums that will necessitate participation of the National Nutrition Month;

Actively engage and support local farmers so as to make them produce a diverse selection of healthy food crops;

Nurture exemplary practices on "transforming the food systems for healthy diets";

Amplify, through dialogues, the need to enact policies that will support and encourage healthy diet among Pinoys.

Source: National Nutrition Council Official Website

How to Join the Country in Celebrating National Nutrition Month

The National Nutrition Month is a crucial event that takes precedence in the national government's priorities this July. And as citizens of this country, we must also celebrate the occasion, promote the importance of maintaining healthy diets, and apply the nutritional guidelines provided by the National Nutrition Council to ourselves. Below are just some of the ways we can express our support to the nation's cause of eliminating malnutrition, reducing poverty, and effecting zero hunger.

Participate in an event in your locality

Local government units (LGUs) are always encouraged to conduct their own respective campaigns to promote healthy diets for their constituents. If there's an nutrition-related initiative in your locality, do not hesitate to join in and become a part of a just and relevant cause.

Promote healthy-eating diets online

Whether you've been a fitness influencer for quite some time or still planning to build your online profile to become one, the National Nutrition Month in the Philippines is the perfect opportunity to kickstart this objective and raise awareness. Aside from vlogging about the healthy foods you eat every day, you can also post types of physical activities that you do to complete your healthy habits.

Start an edible garden at home

You can celebrate the nationwide celebration by committing to start and maintain an edible garden in your own backyard. Plant all the fruits, vegetables, and other favorite cultural foods that you want to eat and lead a healthy lifestyle. Also, you can put in some serious effort by designing your edible garden yourself. Consider garden design ideas such as vertical gardening, making raised beds, or permaculture.

Consider donating to food programs

If you have the financial means, consider giving your fair share of monetary donations to government agencies, non-government organizations, or local food banks that are specifically committed to helping less fortunate Filipinos who experience the horrors of poverty and malnutrition.

Lumina Homes, Vista Land's modest provider of affordable house and lot, conducted "Wellfest: Lumina Wellness Fair" on June 17-22, 2023. This is one of our ways to promote and advocate for healthy living among our homeowners and the entire community at large.

If you fancy living in a strategically situated neighborhood near dry and wet supermarkets to buy healthy yet tasty foods to cook at home, any of our Lumina communities nationwide offer that convenience. When medical emergencies arise, the community is also near healthcare facilities, as well as schools, grocery stores, local tourist spots, LGU offices, and public transportation. We also offer communal amenities such as a multipurpose hall, basketball court, gazebos, play area, and more to make homeownership all the more convenient and less hassle for each and every one.

Should you have any investment inquiries regarding our affordable house and lot for sale provisions, rest assured that we will attend to your immediate concerns as soon as we can. Fulfill your goal of having your own house and lot Philippines through Lumina Homes very soon!