MANILA -- The Department of Science and Technology (DOST)-Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) admitted that malnutrition in the country remains ever-present, as it revealed the findings of its Expanded National Nutrition Survey in Pasay City.

Dr. Imelda Angeles-Agdeppa, director of the DOST-FNRI, said the survey intends to help "design intervention programs" - specifically "sustainable interventions" - that will address the "nutritional situation of our country".

"Lahat ng mga ahensya na may programang para sa nutrisyon ay dapat mag-usap-usap. There should be an interconnectedness of all efforts of the government so that it will become a holistic approach in terms of actually fighting malnutrition," she said at the sidelines of the event.

"You have seen the different determinants both at the grassroots, at the middle [management], and at the national level... Nutrition is really not static, not unless all these problems or determinant factors or exposures of the children or any individual is being addressed," she added.

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Angeles-Agdeppa said among the "setbacks" shown in the study is that "those who were normal during the pre-pandemic became actually stunted."

Based on the data presented, of the 71.6 percent normal children under 5 years old in 2019, 6 percent became stunted in 2022.

"That's the shift... I urge everyone to use the data... Because if we don't use data in the different programs, the investments of the government will be put to waste. Why? Because it is not so efficient. You will be targeting those that don't need really the intervention. If you use the data, it's more targeted and problem-focused, and area specific," she explained.

Still, there has been a "significant improvement" in the prevalence of stunting from the said age group, "from 28.4 percent to 23.3 percent, who were followed-up from 2019 pre-pandemic to 2022 during the latter part of the pandemic."

"Among the followed-up school-age children 6-12 years old, the prevalence of stunting also significantly decreased from 23.9 percent to 18.9 percent and anemia from 11.9 percent to 6.5 percent. However, there was also a significant increase in wasting from 8.2 percent to 10.4 percent and overweight and obesity from 9.6 percent to 16.1 percent, the survey revealed," said DOST-FNRI in a press release.

"Among followed-up adolescents 13-18 years old, there was a significant increase in the prevalence of wasting from 11.4 percent to 13.8 percent. Among the followed-up adults 20-59 years old, there was a significant increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity from 40.6 percent to 44.4 percent. Likewise, the survey further revealed that among the followed-up older persons 60 years and above, there was a significant increase in the prevalence of physical inactivity from 40.8 percent to 49.2 percent," it added.

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Health Usec. Gloria Balboa assured "nutrition is one of the five majority priorities of our present DOH administration Sec. Teodoro Herbosa, under his 'eight-point action agenda'".

"Let's prioritize implementation of nutrition, food security, and related interventions... Let's build strong partnerships among government agencies, private sector entities, NGOs, civil societies, the academe, and local communities. Let's accelerate the implementation of evidence-based interventions," Balboa said in a speech.

-- Food insecurity --

Also among the findings is a decrease of food insecurity over the years, from 65.9 percent in 2013 to 56.8 percent in 2021.

Food security "exists when people do not have adequate physical, social, and economic access to safe and nutritious food that meets everyday dietary needs", according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

But Angeles-Agdeppa explained "food security and nutritional status is not 1:1 ratio."

"If you can see the indicators of food insecurity is at the household level. Iyong measurement natin ng nutritional status is at the individual level. So that means to say, at the household level pa lang, iyong food distribution among family members is not really, there's equality in everyone. Sometimes siguro, iyong mga parents pinapauna na nila iyong mga bata para sila ang kumain," she explained.

"If you say food insecurity kasi, there are nine dimensions of food insecurity kasi. For example, ikaw ay natulog na hindi kumain ng buong isang araw. That's terrible, gutom na gutom pero hindi kumain ng isang buong araw. You skip the meal dahil walang makain. You eat less than what you want to eat. Nagugutom ka pa pero wala nang makain, hindi ka na makakain... You worry about food. Iyong isang kahig isang tuka, they worry about food... Saan sila kukuha?... I'm really very sorry, but it's really what is happening now," she added.

In a statement, DOST-FNRI said the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) should be prioritized to improve food security, while the National Capital Region (NCR) should be the focus in dealing with obesity.

"This survey showed that the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) had the highest prevalence of household food insecurity at 84.1 percent, Western Visayas (Region 6) with the highest prevalence of under-five stunting among children below five years old at 36.6 percent, and the National Capital Region (NCR) with the highest prevalence of overweight and obesity across all age groups," it said.

Angeles-Agdeppa underscored the importance of nutrition in the nation's "human capital."

"We have to build, kaya the world 'architectural design' in nutrition interventions is really there... If you build the foundation of your body because of proper nutrition, then you can actually face the different shocks that will be encountered by all of us," the official said.

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