By Nimfa L. Estrellado-Laurino Joan Maricel Zeta-Decena discusses Quezon’s declining stunting rate with Kapihan sa PIA Quezon host Cecille M...
 |
| Joan Maricel Zeta-Decena discusses Quezon’s declining stunting rate with Kapihan sa PIA Quezon host Cecille Maloles. (PIA Calabarzon) |
LUCENA CITY, Quezon - Child stunting in Quezon has fallen to about 9 percent this year, keeping the province’s reported rate in single digits. Wasting was placed at about 2 percent and overweight and obesity at about 2.5 percent, Provincial Nutrition Action Officer Joan Maricel Zeta-Decena said.
Decena reported the rounded figures during Kapihan sa PIA Quezon held July 29 at Pacific Mall in Lucena City as part of Nutrition Month 2026. Detailed case counts, monitoring coverage and the complete 2026 Operation Timbang Plus results were not presented during the discussion.
Decena said the improvements will be difficult to sustain unless nutrition services reach families before growth problems become visible. She identified pregnant women and infants as priority groups requiring continuous attention from health and nutrition workers.
“Ang pinakaunang dapat nating gawin ay sundin ang programa para sa first 1,000 days. Sa pagbubuntis pa lamang ng isang babae ay dapat na siyang mabigyan ng sapat na edukasyon at nutrisyon upang maging maayos ang paglaki ng bata,” Decena said.
Quezon’s nutrition programs are aligned with the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition 2023–2028, the national six-year framework for achieving nutrition targets. The provincial approach combines growth monitoring, dietary supplementation, nutrition education and health interventions rather than relying on feeding activities alone.
Vegetable Healing Gardens have also been established in hospitals under the Quezon Provincial Hospital Network. Vegetables harvested from the gardens are used by hospital dietary units to prepare meals for patients staying in wards and private rooms.
Barangay Nutrition Scholars conduct Operation Timbang Plus during the first quarter of every year to measure children from birth to 59 months. Their height and weight measurements help identify children who are stunted, wasted, underweight or overweight and provide data for planning appropriate interventions.
Most Quezon barangays have one or two nutrition scholars, depending on the size of their population, according to Decena. They remain volunteer workers supported through local government honoraria, while the National Nutrition Council provides travel allowances and other assistance.
Provincial nutrition personnel also visit remote communities where access to nutritious food and reliable health information may be limited. Through Pabasa sa Nutrisyon and similar sessions, mothers learn to identify locally available vegetables and prepare balanced meals using resources found within their communities.
Decena said her office coordinates with the Department of Education by sharing nutrition plans and resolutions, including a measure supporting limits on the sale of sugar-sweetened beverages in schools. Healthy-baon activities, recipe exercises and classroom discussions are also used to help students understand the effects of their daily food choices.
Pinggang Pinoy was promoted as an easy-to-understand guide showing the recommended proportions of different food groups in every meal. Decena advised people considering ketogenic diets, one-meal-a-day plans or intermittent fasting to seek personalized guidance from a registered nutritionist-dietitian because calorie and nutrient requirements differ among individuals.
Malnutrition includes overweight and obesity as well as underweight, wasting and stunting, requiring families to address both unhealthy diets and physical inactivity. Parents were encouraged to serve varied home-cooked meals, reduce children’s dependence on fast food and gadgets, and make regular physical activity part of family life.
Decena urged media organizations, local governments and communities to spread accurate nutrition information and support programs reaching families at the barangay level. She emphasized that access to proper nutrition should be protected as a basic right of every resident.
“Samahan ninyo po kami at tulungan ninyo po kaming palaganapin ang kampanya ng nutrisyon laban sa malnutrisyon. Lagi po nating tatandaan na ang nutrisyon ay hindi pribilehiyo; ito ay isang karapatang pantao,” Decena said.
.png)
No comments