Iloilo rallies barangays to fight child hunger

By Mariela Angella Oladive

The Iloilo provincial government is intensifying its nutrition campaign after Provincial Health Office (PHO) data showed that nearly 12,500 children younger than 5 in the province are affected by various forms of malnutrition.

Based on 2025 data, the province recorded 2,966 underweight children, 5,710 stunting cases and 1,012 wasting cases.

Underweight refers to children whose weight is below the healthy standard for their age, often due to inadequate food intake or illness.

Stunting refers to children who are too short for their age as a result of chronic or long-term malnutrition.

Wasting refers to children who are too thin for their height, usually caused by recent rapid weight loss or acute lack of nutrition.

Meanwhile, 2,749 children were classified as overweight, meaning their weight exceeds the recommended range for their age or height and may increase health risks.

In response, the PHO launched the 2nd Punong Barangay Nutrition Congress to strengthen the role of barangay leaders in addressing hunger and food insecurity at the grassroots level.

PHO head Maria Socorro Quiñon said barangay officials play a critical role in translating nutrition policies into community action.

“You are the bridge between policy and people. You are the voice that can influence households. You are the force that can mobilize communities,” Quiñon told participants.

The two-day congress, held at Grand Xing Imperial Hotel from April 27–28, gathered 1,259 barangay captains, councilors and barangay nutrition scholars from across the province.

Participants are being trained to craft responsive Barangay Nutrition Action Plans, identify gaps in existing programs and develop sustainable interventions.

Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. reiterated the provincial government’s goal of ensuring that no child in Iloilo goes hungry.

He urged barangay leaders to prioritize nutrition as a key component of development.

“Nutrition is very important to us. Of all the province’s resources, nothing is more important than the people and the health and well-being of the people,” Arthur Defensor Jr. said.

Officials from the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Health, and the National Nutrition Council also attended the event and called on barangays to allocate more funds for nutrition-sensitive programs.

The initiative aligns with national efforts to reduce child malnutrition, which remains a persistent public health concern in the Philippines, particularly in rural and low-income communities.