Ending malnutrition in the country is among the lofty goal of House Bill (HB) No.7586, or the proposed “Nutrition Act of 2023”.

Filed by AGRI Party-list Rep. Wilbert T. Lee, the measure espouses the creation of a 10-year Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) by the proposed National Nutrition Commission (NNC).

This plan of action--to be aligned with the Philippine Development Plan--shall be developed and formulated by the commission in coordination with non-government organizations and relevant government agencies such as the Department of Health (DOH), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and the Department of Education (DepEd), among others.

Under the bill, the existing National Nutrition Council (NNC) will upgraded to a commission, with expanded powers to functions.

“Healthy citizens play an important role in realizing food security within families and communities. Kaya kailangan ng matatag at maaasahang komisyon na talagang nakatutok para tugunan ang mga pangangailangan sa nutrisyon ng Pilipino (That's why we need a strong and dedicated commission that will focus on Filipinos' nutrition needs)," Lee said in a statement Sunday, March 26.

According to Lee, the government needs to scale up its workforce and resources to combat hunger and severe malnutrition, as the country is facing a high prevalence of wasting, stunting, micronutrient deficiencies and overweight among children and women.

“Our country faces the multi-faceted problems of malnutrition and undernutrition which are deeply rooted in different health, social, economic, and political aspects, resulting in prevailing illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, and child stunting, among others,” said the solon from Sorsogon.

“It is high time to strengthen the NNC to expand its powers and functions and scale it up into a commission to respond to the prevailing hunger and malnutrition situation in the country,” he added.

Since its creation in 1974, the NNC has remained a small agency with a lean organizational structure of about 150 officials and staff in both the central and regional offices working together to fulfill its functions of policy-making, coordinating, and monitoring and evaluating nutrition programs from the national down to the regional levels.

On top of implementing and overseeing various laws and its regular inter-agency participation and collaboration, the NNC is one of the agencies tasked to help in fulfilling the country’s international commitments in the United Nations (UN) and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).