30/06/2025
PRESS RELEASE: NUTRITION MONTH 2025 CAMPAIGN HIGHLIGHTS
FOOD AND NUTRITION SECURITY AS A HUMAN RIGHT
TAGUIG CITY— Prioritizing food and nutrition security as a fundamental human right takes the spotlight for this year’s Nutrition Month campaign lead by the National Nutrition Council (NNC) as mandated by Presidential Decree No. 491 in 1974. With malnutrition and food insecurity still affecting millions of Filipinos, this year’s observance calls for unified action across all sectors to ensure that every Filipino has consistent access to adequate, safe, and nutritious food at all times.
Guided by the overarching theme “Sa PPAN: Sama-sama sa Nutrisyong Sapat Para sa Lahat” and sub-theme “Food and Nutrition Security, Maging Priority, Sapat na Pagkain, Karapatan Natin”, the campaign underscores the urgent need to prioritize food and nutrition security as a shared responsibility of the government and the whole of society.
Highlighting the magnitude of the issue, the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS)1 survey con-ducted in April 2025 revealed that 20.0 percent of Filipino families experienced involuntary hunger (being hungry and having nothing to eat)—at least once in the past three months. This alarming statistic reflects the continuing struggle of many households to meet their basic food needs and reinforces the campaign’s relevance and urgency.
Food security goes beyond merely bringing food to the table but must be a condition in which all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to food that is nutritious, safe, and properly utilized to support optimal health and meets their dietary needs for an active and healthy life. If not addressed, food insecurity will inevitably lead to nutrition insecurity or ag-gravate existing forms of malnutrition. The burden will manifest in various forms, including un-dernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and overnutrition, each posing significant public health risks. Without proper nourishment, individuals are more susceptible to infections and chronic diseases, ultimately affecting communities and national progress.
Through the month-long campaign, the NNC seeks to mobilize local government units (LGUs), national government agencies, civil society, the private sector, school and academe, and the general public in support of the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) 2023–2028, the country’s strategic blueprint to eliminate all forms of malnutrition.
The Marcos Administration's resolute prioritization of food security has already laid an initial foundation for achieving the goals of this year's Nutrition Month campaign by significantly in-creasing the agricultural budget, investing in modern farming technologies, expanding irriga-tion, and providing crucial aid to farmers and fisherfolk. Complementing this, programs like Wa-lang Gutom 2027 and the strategic use of KADIWA stores and NFA interventions work to ensure that food, once produced, is both accessible and affordable, thereby strengthening the PPAN's objective of reducing all forms of malnutrition across all life stages.
NNC encourages all its stakeholders to support the campaign through policy issuance, dissemi-nation of key messages, attendance at NNC-led activities, conduct of fora and webinars on food and nutrition security, and alignment of investment plans and action plans with the PPAN 2023-2028 for LGUs.
For more information about Nutrition Month 2025, visit the National Nutrition Council's official website and page or access campaign materials via bit.ly/NMCollaterals2025.
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Reference:
1https://www.sws.org.ph/swsmain/artcldisppage/artcsyscode=ART-20250627174857
