How the Philippines
Aims to Achieve SDG 2
1
Philippine Institute for Development Studies
Surian sa mga Pag-aaral Pangkaunlaran ng Pilipinas
www.pids.gov.ph
Roehlano M Briones, Senior Research Fellow
Presentation for “Evolving Agrifood Systems in Asia: Achieving Food and Nutrition Security by
2030”, October 30 – November 1, Yangon, Myanmar

Is HUNGER a problem?
Household Food Insecurity
Experience Scale:
• Worry about food
• Unable to eat preferred foods
• Eat just a few kinds of foods
• Eat foods they really do not want to eat
• Eat a smaller meal
• Eat fewer meals in a day
• No food of in the household
• Go to sleep hungry
• Go a whole day and night without eating YES, STILL A PROBLEM!

Is MALNUTRITION a problem?
2018 estimates
% children (6-23 months) meeting
Minimum Acceptable Diet: 13.4
% of children with Iodine
Deficiency Disorder (IDD): 11.5
% of lactating mothers with IDD:
20.2
% of women aged 20-39 with
anemia: 9.7
YES, STILL A PROBLEM!

Why is it a problem?
Underlying factors: assets, access, social protection, culture and social
norms, security, environment…
Sedentary
lifestyles and
behaviors
Insufficient
supply of or
access to
health food
Inadequate care
and feeding
practices and
behaviors
Poor WASH,
food safety,
health
services
Physical
inactivity
Poor dietary intake Disease
Overnutrition Maternal and child undernutrition

Who are the key players in SDG 2?
• Households (especially women)
• Food producers, businesses
• Civil society
• Government
◦ National Economic Development Authority (NEDA); chaired by the
President
Emphasis on transformation (“Pagbabago”) including human development
◦ National Nutrition Council (NNC); chaired by Department of
Health)
Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) 2017-2022

What is Philippines doing for SDG 2?
• Increasing budget for health care; including on nutrition-related
interventions
Total health expenditure (households, private sector, government) rose
by 8% 2016 – 2017 (Php 712 billion)
DOH budget rose 13 percent (2017-18) to Php 171 billion
• Passed laws promoting food security and nutrition (all in 2018):
RA 11037 (law on National Feeding Program)
RA 11148 (First 1000 Days Act)
RA 11291 (Magna Carta of the Poor) – enshrines Right to Adequate
Food for the poor

PPAN 2017-2022
• Based on SMART planning (Specific, Measurable, Attainable,
Realistic, Time-bound). Adopts Outcome targets and Intermediate
targets (by 2022)
• Outcome targets: child stunting and wasting
Prevalence of stunted under-5 children down to 21.4% (from 33.4% in 2015)
Prevalence of wasted children under-5 down to <5% (from 7.1%)
Prevalence of wasted children 6-10 down to <5% (from 8.6%)
• Outcome targets: micronutrient deficiencies
Prevalence of Vit A deficiency (0.5 – 5 years) down to <15% (from 20.4%)
Prevalence of anemia among women of repro age down to 6.0% (from 11.7%)

PPAN 2017-2022
• Outcome targets: micronutrient deficiencies
Prevalence of Vit A deficiency (0.5 – 5 years) down to <15% (from 20.4%)
Prevalence of anemia among women of repro age down to 6.0% (from 11.7%)
Reduce IDD indicators among children (6-12 yrs) and lactating women
• Other outcome targets for obesity and overweight
• Intermediate targets:
Share of nutritionally-at-risk pregnant women down to 20% (from 24.8%)
Prevalence of low birthweight down to 16.6% (from 21.4%)
Share of infants (5 months) exclusively breastfed up to 33.3% (from 24.7%)
Share of households with diets that meet energy requirement up to 37.1%
(from 31.7%)

Strategic thrusts
• Focus on F1KD
• Complementation of nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive
programs
• Intensified mobilization of local government units (LGUs) –
prioritize 36 provinces with highest stunting prevalence 
transform low-intensity nutrition programs to those that will
deliver on targets
• Reach geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs)
• Complementation of actions of national and local
governments

Nutrition-specific programs (8)
1. Infant and young child feeding
2. Integrated management of acute malnutrition
3. National dietary supplementation
4. National nutrition program for behavioral change
5. Micronutrient supplementation
6. Mandatory food fortification
7. Nutrition in emergencies
8. Overweight and obesity management and prevention

Nutrition-sensitive programs
Integrating nutrition by:
• targeting households with
undernourished children or
nutritionally-vulnerable groups;
• targeting areas with high levels of
malnutrition;
• being a channel for delivering
nutrition-specific interventions
N.B. data may be collected using
community-based systems e.g. CBMS
and Operation Timbang
Examples:
1. Farm-to-market roads
2. Poverty reduction programs
3. Coconut rehabilitation
4. Vegetable gardening in schools
5. Discounted retail goods scheme)
6. Family development sessions in CCT
7. Mainstreaming nutrition in
sustainable livelihood
Etc.

Prospects
• Reversals and slow progress in 2015 appears to have alerted
policymakers – both Executive and Legislative
• However accountability and incentive/penalty system still unclear –
consequences of missing targets?
• Planning horizon still confined to Executive cycle – no clear plan to
2030
• Nonetheless: greater level of seriousness on attaining SDG 2

PhilippineInstituteforDevelopmentStudies
Surian samga Pag-aaral Pangkaunlaran ng Pilipinas
Service through
policy research
13
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Thank you!