June 28, 2024 - Philippine Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos believes proper nutrition, especially among young schoolchildren, is crucial to improving their academic performance and reducing stunting.
Abalos urged for full cooperation from all nutrition advocates and stakeholders during the Philippine Partners’ Assembly for Nutrition on Tuesday. He emphasized that innovations in childhood nutrition directly correlate with better academic performance.
"This is a good group. This is the main ingredient for the success of this PPAN program. It's the government, it's NGOs, it's going grassroots," said Abalos, who also serves as Vice-Chair of the National Nutrition Council (NNC) Governing Board.
Abalos highlighted the importance of proper nutrition, citing a direct correlation between a student's diet and academic achievement. He presented the journey of the Mandaluyong City local government unit as an example. During his tenure as mayor, alongside current Mandaluyong Vice Mayor Carmelita Abalos, the city transformed from ranking 17th among Metro Manila LGUs in nutrition service delivery in 1999 to receiving the coveted Nutrition Honor Award in 2016.
This achievement stemmed from various programs implemented to combat malnutrition and stunting among children from their formative years. Abalos credits the massive strides and collective efforts of various sectors and nutrition advocates for addressing past nutritional challenges, resulting in a 26% reduction in stunting rates.
"Just six months ago, Mandaluyong students were cited. Why? Because we had the highest National Achievement Test for the high school students in the whole Philippines. So, there is a direct correlation of nutrition to academic achievement," he stressed.
The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), along with nine other government agencies, was recognized for its instrumental role in the multi-sectoral planning and implementation of the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) through the NNC Governing Board.