The National Nutrition Council (NNC) office in Eastern Visayas on Wednesday said it is stepping up its campaign for an affordable healthy diet through the existing food security program of national government agencies as every “family of five” will need PHP 1,200 daily to buy a nutritious meal.

“We understand that it is very challenging for a family with average income to buy healthy food given the current food prices, but there is available plant-based food in our communities. We just must let people know how to prepare it,” NNC regional nutrition program coordinator Catalino Dotollo said during a ceremony marking the 49th Nutrition Month in the country.

Citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, the NNC official said a daily healthy diet cost every Filipino about P242.53 in 2021.

“For a family of five, you must spend about PHP1,200 daily to buy healthy food, which is above the minimum daily wage. The Nutrition Month campaign calls for relevant stakeholders to transform the food system and its key internal drivers to ensure affordability of nutritious foods as part of a healthy diet,” he added.

Department of Science and Technology Leyte provincial director John Glenn Ocaña said their office has several initiatives to address high food prices.

“We have been promoting locally produced materials for food processing. We also must make sure that processing is efficient making food products more affordable,” Ocaña told reporters.

Department of Agriculture regional institutional development unit head Ma. Luisa Capili said they have been supporting local communities to plant vegetables to supply local demand.

“We are strengthening the capacities of villages towards sustainable agricultural initiatives through the intensification and fostering of agricultural activities such as community gardening,” Capili added.

This year’s Nutrition Month theme “Healthy diet gawing affordable for all!” (Making healthy diet affordable for all) aims to promote food and nutrition security, specifically affordability, and ensure the right of everyone to have access to safe and nutritious food and be free from hunger.

The Nutrition Month campaign aims to raise awareness on supporting Filipinos to improve access to affordable healthy diets to reduce malnutrition and improve food security, health, and quality of life.

Specifically, the campaign aims to engage consumers to support improvements in levels of diet quality towards sustainable healthy diets, generate participation of stakeholders at various levels on actions towards enabling access to affordable, sustainable healthy diets; and call support for the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition 2023-2028 as the framework for action to improve nutrition security. (PNA)